Just One Shot
by Spartins1988
Summary: A series of one shots centering around Ciara and Ben.
1. Chapter 1

Ben kissed her one final time before he rolled over on his back and sighed.

"That was incredible."

"I know. I'm still seeing stars."

He laughed. "Stars? That's a new one. Last week it was fireworks."

"What can I say? You're that good."

"Okay now I know your lying."

Ciara gave his shoulder a playful slap before turning over on her side to face him.

"I don't know about you but I'm starving. That workout really did a number on me."

Ben smiled as he sat up and slipped a pair of white sweat pants on. "So I guess that means you won't be up for round two?"

"Get some food in me and I think I'll be good to go."

He got up off the bed and started to make his way to the kitchen. When he made it out of the hallway he could hear a knock at the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?"

"What?" Ciara yelled back.

He shook his head and started to walk over to the door. It was kind of late for someone to be showing up at their apartment.

Before he could reach the door, there was another knock this time louder. Whoever was behind door seemed to be impatient.

When he opened the door, a man was standing there with his fist up like he was about to knock again.

"Tripp?"

"Ben. What the hell are you doing here?" Tripp said as he took in Ben's attire or lack thereof.

The older man crossed his arms over his bare ripped chest, "I could ask you the same thing. It's almost midnight."

"I came here to drop something off for Ciara. Not that it's any of your business. And you still didn't answer my question."

He gave Tripp a sly smile. "I live here."

He shook his head in shock "Wait what?"

"Hey Ben. I was thinking we could have pancakes. Maybe with blueberries or bananas or something. What do you think?"

Ben and Tripp looked over to see a half-dressed Ciara standing in the kitchen. She only had on a long Red Sox t-shirt of Ben's that went down to below her knees.

"Tripp what are you doing here? It's almost midnight." She said as has her hands went to her legs in a feeble attempt to cover them up.

"I-I- Claire found this book at the apartment and she said it was yours, so I thought I'd bring it by."

Ben walked over to the couch and grabbed a blanket that was hanging off it. He opened it and then brought it over to Ciara where he wrapped it around her. He had a feeling she was feeling uncomfortable with Tripp seeing her half naked.

"Thank you."

He gave her a wide smile and followed her over to the door.

"Claire could have just brought it over herself."

"I-I know but uh I thought I could bring it over and that that would give us a chance to you know catch up."

"At eleven thirty?"

"Yeah well she just found it so…so I didn't want it to get lost again by the time she went to bring it to you."

Tripp pulled out a worn book that had burn marks on the edge of the cover.

As soon as Ciara saw it she smiled. "Oh my god. It's the book you got me Ben. I thought I lost it in the move."

"I hadn't realized Ben got you that book."

Ciara took the book from him and looked it over. "Yeah Ben got it for me when we were in the cabin. It's like my favorite book."

"Oh…"

"Look Tripp it was sweet of you drop this off but-."

"I was kind of hoping I could come in and we could talk. You know just the two of us." He said as he eyed Ben.

Ben knew Tripp wasn't happy that he was there. It was written all over his face. The old him would have rubbed it in his face but the new him felt it better to stay silent and let Ciara handle things. He wouldn't lie though, he was very tempted to say something.

Ciara saw Tripp staring at Ben and sighed. "It's kind of late Tripp."

He nodded. "Right of course."

"But tell Claire thanks for finding this for me."

"Yeah sure."

All three of them stood there in awkward silence for a moment before Ben cleared his throat.

"If you want pancakes I should probably start making them now."

She nodded and turned back to her ex. "I'm sorry Tripp I have to go. But I'll see you around sometime?"

"Ugh sure."

Ciara waved goodbye to Tripp as he reluctantly walked away toward the elevator. Once he was gone she shut the door.

"That was kind of awkward."

She sighed. "Good I thought it was just me."

"I feel kind of bad for the guy. It's clear he's still hung up on you."

"I know. I would have thought he would have been over me by now. It's been several months already." Ciara said as she hopped on one of the bar stools that was in front of the breakfast bar.

Ben went over to the refrigerator and opened it. He peered inside for a moment before he turned his head to look at Ciara.

"We have bananas but no blueberries."

"Then bananas it is."

He grabbed everything he'd need out of the fridge and put them on the counter. Ben then walked over to Ciara and wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her cheek a small kiss.

"I hope him stopping by didn't ruin the rest of our night."

She smiled and placed the book on the counter. "It didn't ruin it in the slightest."

"Good because I have plans for us after were done eating."

"Oh really?" She asked him as she turned around to face him.

"Mhmm. And I think you're going to like them."

"Then hurry up with those pancakes so we can get to it."

He leaned in and gave her lips a peck. "You got it Rockstar."

###

"Ben, where are you?"

"In the bathroom."

Ciara walked over to the closed bathroom door wondering what he was doing in there.

"Whatcha doing?" She just had to ask.

A few seconds passed before Ben opened the door.

Behind him there were lit candles all over the counters and on the window sill next to the tub. There was romantic music playing in the background and the bathroom smelt like honey and lavender.

"I thought I'd draw us a nice bubble bath."

"Us?" She questioned.

"That's if that's okay with you. If not, then you can just take it. It's up to you. I just thought it'd be nice."

She smiled at his comment. Ben was always so sweet and considerate of her feelings.

"It is. It's extremely sweet. I just didn't peg you as the bubble bath type."

"What can I say? For you I'd do anything."

"Well then I'd love to share it with you."

Ciara walked over to where Ben was standing and wrapped her arms around his neck. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before she leaned in to kiss him.

It started off soft and slow. His lips tasted like real maple syrup and fresh bananas

He went to pull away but before he could she pulled him in closer.

When they kissed it didn't always feel like fireworks and sparks were going off. Sometimes it was a warmth that spilled out from their hearts and went all the way up to fill their lips. This was one of those times and it made it hard for Ben to want to pull away.

When they finally parted from each other he rested his forehead against hers.

"Are you trying to make it, so we don't take this bath?"

She giggled. "No that wasn't my intent."

"Well if you keep that up were never going to make it in there."

"Sorry I couldn't help myself."

"You can never help yourself when it comes to me but it's okay." He smiled.

Ciara smiled back before she slowly stripped out of Ben's shirt.

He stood and watched her as she pulled her hair into a messy bun and then carefully stepped into the bathtub. Once most of her body was immersed in the water she let out a small moan.

"The waters perfect. All that's missing is you."

Ben nodded and ridded himself of his pants and stepped in behind Ciara.

'Your right the water is perfect."

"We should do this more often. It could be our thing."

"If it makes you happy then I like the sound of that."

Ciara grinned as she reached over and grabbed the bar of soap and a wash cloth. She washed her front, her arms, legs and shoulders. She was just about to put the cloth down when she felt Ben's lips hovering over her skin.

He gave her shoulder a light kiss. "If you want I can wash your back."

Ciara nodded and handed him the cloth. Once she felt the soft wet fabric hitting her skin she let out a contented sigh.

"This feels so good."

"I'm glad. Just let me know if I'm being too rough."

"You could never be rough with me. This feels like heaven."

He smiled. "Well I don't think many would believe you."

"Who cares if they wouldn't believe me. They don't know you like I know you."

"Your right they don't. But it still doesn't stop people from talking. Or giving me these weird stares. I thought Tripp was going to have a massive stroke when he saw me in just my sweatpants."

"I never told him that we're were living together so he probably didn't expect to see you when he came here."

"Or expect to see you wearing my shirt."

She nodded. "He probably thinks we had sex."

He laughed a little. "Ciara, we did have sex. Lots of sex as a matter of fact."

"I know but…"

"But what?" He asked as he washed that last patch of skin on her back."

"Never mind. Who cares if he knows we had sex. You and I are dating. He had to know at some point we would. Not that it's any of business though."

"Your right it is none of his business. And if he ever makes you feel uncomfortable about anything then just tell him so. I mean I could do it, but I don't think anyone would like that."

She sniggered. "No, I don't think so."

###

After they finished with their bubble bath they both got out of the tub and Ben grabbed them both a dark blue fluffy towel.

"Remember back at the cabin when you gave my feet a sponge bath?" She asked as she made sure the towel was secure around her waist.

"Remember it? How could I forget? You kicked me in the teeth. It's a wonder I have any left after that."

She laughed. "Well I told you I was ticklish."

"I know but that didn't mean you had to send me flying across the room."

"I seem to remember touching a certain spot on the back of your neck that makes you squirm. So, I'm not the only one who is ticklish here."

He laughed. "I'm not ticklish. You just caught me off guard is all."

"Oh really? So, if I touched that spot right now you wouldn't be bothered by it?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Hmm…"

Ciara turned around and went to touch the back of Ben's neck. But just before she was able to touch his skin he grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips to give it a soft kiss.

"No touching." He laughed. "Because if you try to tickle me I might have to try and tickle you back."

"And risk losing your teeth again? I don't think you'd even be willing to try it." She told him as she brought her hand back up to his neck.

"Wanna bet?"

"You wouldn't dare."

Ben gave her a mischievous smile as his hands went to her side. She went to move away but he was quicker than she was, and he captured her in his arms as his fingers lightly ran along the sides of her body.

"Ben! Stop!" She cried out in laughter.

His grip loosened on her long enough for her to escape. She ran out of the bathroom and just as she was rounding the bed he reached her and pulled her into his arms.

"Got you!"

Ciara thrashed about causing Ben to lose his balance and send them crashing on the bed. When they landed she almost kneed him in the groin. Ben noticed this and let out a sigh of relief that she missed.

After that they laid there for a moment in silence before they both started to hysterically laugh.

"See that's what you get for tickling me."

"That's what I get? You nearly kneed me in my misters."

"I know. But I'm like a lethal weapon when you do that. You should know that by now."

He laughed. "I honestly didn't think you were that ticklish."

She flipped over so she was face to face with Ben. "I kicked you in the face the first time. How could you not know I was?"

"It's your feet. Just because you're ticklish there doesn't mean you are everywhere else."

"Okay, how about we make a deal. I don't tickle your neck and you don't tickle me anywhere?"

"Deal."

Ciara laid her head down on Ben's chest and snuggled into him.

###

Once they got up and dressed and brushed their teeth they figured they should head to bed. But for some reason they weren't exactly tired yet. So, Ciara decided to put on one of Ben's favorite movies and they cuddled up together under the covers.

"Joe Pesci had such a full head of hair. What happened to him?"

He ran his fingers through her hair and sighed. "Old age I guess."

'Sucks to get old doesn't it?"

He chuckled. "Yeah it does."

"I can't see that ever happening to you."

"What getting old? Because I hate to break it to you Rockstar, but everybody gets old."

She shook her head. "I know that. What I meant was you going bald. You just have such a thick head of hair."

He smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Well we saw what happened to Pesci. It could happen to me."

She closed her eyes and yawned. "Never."

Ben kissed the top of her head and snuggled in even closer to Ciara. She finally seemed tired and so was he.

"You seem tired Ciara. Why don't you go to sleep?"

"Mkay."

A few moments went by before Ben let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

"I love you Ciara."

"I love you too Ben."


	2. Chapter 2

When she turned the corner, she saw Ben. He was laying down on a bench and using his backpack as a pillow. Her heart sunk at the scene in front of her and she deiced to go over to him.

"Hey stranger."

Ben opened his eyes and jumped at the sound of her voice. "Ciara. You scared me. What are you doing out here this early it's barely after five?"

"I couldn't sleep. So, I thought I'd come to the park and get some fresh air."

He sat up and smoothed out his hair and then his clothes. "You know it's not safe out here this early in the morning."

"Well I'm not the one sleeping on a public bench."

"Touché."

"Why are you out here anyway?"

"I didn't exactly have anywhere else to go."

"So, you slept here?"

Ben moved his bag and gestured for Ciara to sit down next to him. She hobbled over on her crutches and when she reached the bench he put his hand on her back to help keep her steady.

"I am kind of unemployed right now. Not many people are completely gun hoe at the idea of hiring 'The Necktie Killer'."

"So, what? You're just going to sleep on this bench for the rest of your life?" She questioned him.

"Well not forever. Just until I get a job and enough money to get my own place."

Ciara bit her lip and stared at Ben, the bench then back at Ben again. Claire and Tripp were going to kill her for this, but she didn't care.

"That's not acceptable. You're coming with me."

She got up from the bench and went to pick up his bag the best she could with her crutches. But before she could he grabbed her hand.

"Oh really? And where exactly are you taking me?"

"Back to my place."

Ben laughed for a second and shook his head. "That's really sweet of you to offer Ciara but I couldn't possibly take you up on your offer."

"Why not?"

"It wouldn't be right. You're already having problems with Tripp and Claire and I don't want to make that worse."

She shook her head. "What do they have to do with this?"

"Well you live with them, don't you?"

"Yeah so?"

He sighed. "So, I don't think they're going to like living with a serial killer."

"Ex serial killer." She corrected him.

"Still there not going to be happy about it and you have enough problems to worry about and don't need me adding to them."

"Well don't you think that's my call to make?"

"It is but-."

"But nothing your coming back with me and I won't take no for an answer."

She lifted up his backpack and he went pull it away from her.

"Ciara."

"Ben."

They stared each other down for a second before Ciara went to give the backpack one more final tug. Not expecting Ben to loosen his grip on the bag she stumbled backwards. His arm reached out and pulled her into him, keeping her from falling down.

Their faces were inches from each other. They were so close that if they wanted to they could kiss each other.

"Your stubborn you know that?"

"I like to think it's one of my best qualities."

Ben lowed his head a bit and smiled. "If it means that much to you then I'd be happy to stay with you. Thank you."

She removed his bag that was resting against his back and smiled.

###

Once they made it back to the apartment Ciara was careful to close the door quietly behind them as to not wake her roommates.

"You'll be sleeping in Theo's room if that's okay."

"I was about to live on a park bench for the foreseeable future. Anything you give me will be better than that."

"Well why don't I take you to his room, so you can settle in and get a little sleep?"

"Sounds good."

Ciara walked Ben to the back of the apartment to where the bedrooms were. When they reached the end of the hall she pointed to a door on her left.

"That's my room and yours is right here on the right."

"You really didn't have to do this Ciara. I could have managed on my own."

"Hey, you took care of me and now it's my turn to do the same for you."

"Ciara, I don't know what to say. You've been so good to me when you didn't have to be."

"Everyone deserves to have someone in their corner. Even you. Especially you."

He smiled as she went to open the door to Theo's room.

When he walked inside he took note of his surroundings.

There was nothing special about where he'd be sleeping. Just a bed, two night stands with matching lamps on each, a couple of dressers, and a black chair in the corner of the room by the window. It seemed Theo liked to keep things simple.

"Sheets are all clean and I think Theo left some clothes in closet that might fit you if you need them. There's also clean towels in the bathroom and an unopened tooth brush in the top draw on the right."

He turned to face her. "Thank you, Ciara."

She smiled. "Your welcome."

"So, I'll see you in a few hours?"

She nodded. "You know where to find me."

###

"Ciara?"

Ciara popped her head out of the fridge and smiled, "Hey how'd you sleep?"

"Like I usually do. Though this time it wasn't as bad."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Ben walked over to her and rested his body against the kitchen island.

"So, what are you doing?"

"I was trying to find something to have for breakfast, but I don't really feel like cooking anything."

"Well let me see what you have, and I can maybe make you something."

"I couldn't ask you to do that. You're my guest."

"You're not asking me to do anything. I want to do this for you. It's the least I can do after you've been so good to me."

Ciara stepped back from the refrigerator and gestured to the open appliance. "Be my guest."

Ben walked over and peered inside. After a few moments he turned back to the brunette.

"Do you have pancake mix?"

"We do. In the cabinet over there." She pointed.

"How does pancakes sound? We know you like them."

"Pancakes sound delicious."

"Then pancakes it is."

"You know this is the second time you've made me pancakes and I have yet to make you anything."

Ben took everything out and set it on the island.

"Maybe you could show me how to make your grandmothers doughnuts some time."

"Well I can't promise I'll be a good teacher."

"Give me the recipe and I'm sure we'll do just fine."

###

"Can I have the spatula?"

Ciara nodded and handed it too him. He gently lifted the pancake off the pan and then laid it back down. She thought he was going to put it on one of the plates but was surprised when he took the pan and shook it, so the pancake went flying up into the air and then back down on to the hot piece of cookware.

"Wow where'd you learn how to do that?"

He smiled. "In Boston actually."

"Boston?"

He nodded as he poured some batter into the pan. "We went there when Jordan and I were on the run. I got this job at a dinner and the owner there took a liking to me. He ended up showing me a few things."

"Like how to flip a pancake in midair?"

He chuckled. "Yep like how to flip a pancake."

"It looks kind of difficult. I don't think I could ever do something like that."

"Sure, you could it's easy. Let me show you."

"Yeah? Okay."

"Yeah just stand right here in front of me." Ben told her as he stepped back and let her move, so she was in front of the stove.

"Okay."

"Now pick up the pan with your right hand."

She did what she was told and nodded. "Okay now what?"

"Your going to push the pan forward and then up a bit."

"Like this?" She said as she moved the pan causing the pancake to slide to the edge.

"No, you don't use your whole arm. It's more of a flick of the wrist. Let me show you."

He wrapped his arms around Ciara and laid his hand firmly over hers. He then flicked his wrist forward and up causing it to flip up into the air and then back down.

"See easy."

"Sure, maybe for you but I burnt the pancake."

He chuckled. "It's okay I'll eat that one. Let's try it again."

Ben poured a little batter into the pan. After a minute when plenty of bubbles started to form he gave the spatula to her.

"You'll want to loosen it a little."

She nodded and did what she was told.

Once it was lose she moved the pan forward and then up. The pancake did a perfect flip and then landed back down.

"I did it!"

He smiled. "Hell yeah you did it."

"You're a good teacher you know that?" she told him as she transferred the pancake to a plate.

He was about to respond when they heard a loud slamming sound and then someone's voice.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

Ben and Ciara turned their heads to see Tripp standing behind the island. He looked pissed.

"Hey. Ben and I are making pancakes if you and Claire want any."

"You better back away from her or I swear to God…" He pointed at the older man.

Ben went to move but Ciara grabbed onto his arm preventing him from doing so.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is there is a serial killer making breakfast in my kitchen. What the hell is he doing here?"

"I invited him to stay here."

"You know Ciara maybe I should go." He whispered to her.

"No. I invited you to stay here so you're going to stay here."

"Ciara that man is a certifiable maniac. He has no business staying here!" Tripp yelled.

Ciara picked up her crutches and slowly but surely made it over to her ex.

"You better apologize to him right now."

"But-."

"I thought we had a talk about this. Because if you can't be nice and respectful to Ben then you can pack up your stuff and get the hell out! Am I making myself clear?" She told him as she waived the spatula in his face.

"What the hell has gotten into you?"

She was about to turn back to go over to the stove when she heard that and stopped herself.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "Ever since you've gotten back from that cabin you've been a totally different person and I got to say I don't like it."

"Well I don't think I really asked you Tripp."

"Did he do something to you in that cabin? Brainwash you or hurt you in anyway?"

She scoffed. "I can't believe you'd say something to me like that. You don't even know what went on in that cabin."

"No, I don't because you won't talk to me about it." He whined

"That's because I shouldn't have to. But If it will shut you up I will." She turned to look at Ben and he nodded letting her know he was fine with whatever she wanted to say. When she looked back at Tripp she sighed. "Ben found me on the side of the road and carried me for miles till he found that cabin. He took care of me, went and got us supplies, cooked me dinner and pancakes. He even helped me wash up. But not only that he listened to me. When he found out about what Chase did…"

"Wait you told him about the rape? You weren't even going to tell me about it till Claire made you."

"Well I didn't plan on telling him it just happened. But unlike you he didn't judge me."

He shook his head. "I didn't judge you."

"He didn't look at me like I was weak and damaged. He thought I was strong and a rockstar." She said ignoring him.

"So, a serial killer says those things and you believe them but after everything I've done for you, you still don't think I think that way too."

"Well you haven't really shown it since I got back."

"How could I? You're never around. You're always off chasing after that lunatic like some necktie killer groupie."

Ciara stepped closer to Tripp and positioned the metal utensil inches from his neck."

"See I tried to be nice but I don't think you're really getting it. If I see you talking to Ben or yelling at him or even calling him a name like you just did I will cut you out of this apartment and my life. Do we understand each other?

Tripp gave a hard swallow and nodded.

When Ciara realized how close she was to practically slashing Tripp's neck she lowered the spatula. Ben put his hand up and without her even having to turn around to see him doing so, she handed it to him.

"So who wants some fucking pancakes?" She angrily asked.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything seemed a little hazy and she tried to focus her mind. She could hear voices that didn't sound all that far away. One of them sounded like Ben and the other…Kayla?

When she finally was able to wake up she looked up to see her husband and aunt staring down at her.

"What happened?" Ciara said as she slowly sat up in the bed.

"I found you passed out on the bathroom floor." Ben told her.

She rubbed her face and sighed. "I had a cramp and then everything went black."

"Probably vaginal from the pain."

"Okay but what about the baby Aunt Kayla? Is the baby okay?"

Kayla looked at the monitor and nodded. "Your pressure's up to one ten on two liters, crit's thirty-five, and fetal heart tones are one sixty."

"Okay so that sounds good. That's good right?"

"Yes, it is. No sign of abruption and the baby's moving around. She's looking healthy."

Ben and Ciara looked at each other and smiled brightly.

"Were having a girl?" Ben asked the blonde.

"Yes. Congratulations you two."

Ben grabbed Ciara's hand and gave it a small kiss. They had decided to wait and find out the sex of the baby.

"Ciara, I have to ask. Did your OB mention placenta previa?"

"Um No, I don't have previa. They saw an um…a uh…low-lying placenta on the twenty-week ultrasound but no placenta previa was brought up."

"Well than that would explain the bleeding. You may need a C -."

Ben shook his head. "She doesn't need a C-section. You said yourself everything is fine. Her pressures up and there's good fetal heart tones. Why don't we send her up to OB?"

"No not yet, we still need a sterile spec exam."

"Kayla, send me up to OB." Her niece pleaded.

Dr. Johnson looked up to the nurse next to her and sighed. "Vitals?"

"Her pulse is eighty-five and BP, one fifteen over seventy-eight."

"All right, take her up."

###

She couldn't believe this was happening. She had done everything right. She took her prenatal vitamins, ate right, exercised a little, and Ben waited on her hand and foot. Even Roman brought them food from the pub for the nights when Ben got home late from work and was too tired to cook.

And at her last ultrasound appointment her doctor said everything was fine. So, what happened?

Ciara was about to voice these concerns out loud when she heard the door to her room closing shut.

"How you two holding up in here?" Kayla asked them.

"Other then trying not to have a full blown panic attack? I think I'm okay. How's the baby?"

She walked over to the monitor and read over the data.

"Well, baby looks good, but you are definitely contracting."

"What? That can't be. I don't feel anything."

"Sometimes you don't. I think what happened here is the trauma to the belly put you into preterm labor. This means the baby's head dropped down and caused placental bleeding."

Ben who was sitting in a chair next to his wife turned to his aunt in-law "Okay, well, it's way too soon, so can't we give her terb-terba-."

"Terbutaline?" He nodded. "Ben you're an intern now. You know as well as I do that she needs magnesium."

He nodded again. "I also know when I did my rotation in OB that when you take mag it makes you feel like crap. And I don't want to put Ciara through that."

"I understand that but-."

"So why don't we just start with terb?"

"Because Terbutaline can mask the signs and symptoms of abruption."

The future Dr. Weston lowered his head. "I didn't know that."

"Today you're the husband of a patient, not the doctor."

Ciara looked at Ben and then back at her aunt. She had no clue as to what they were talking about.

"But I'm not having an abruption, am I?"

"Not at the moment, but the trauma you had puts you at risk for one. And if you do abrupt, we need to know right away."

"So, then what? You'd have to do a C-section?"

"That's correct."

Ciara's eye's started to well up with tears. "Just do whatever you have to okay? I don't want to lose this baby."

Kayla reached out and grabbed her nieces hand. "Don't you worry. You're in good hands." Ciara wiped her eyes with her free hand and nodded. "Now I'm going to track down your OB and I'll be right back. So, if you're in anymore pain have a nurse let me know okay?"

"Okay."

###

Ben sat next to Ciara and stroked her hair. "Everything is going to be okay Rockstar. I promise. And when have I ever let you down?"

She smiled. "Never."

"See? So, everything is going to be just fine."

She was about to say something when she felt a pain rip through her and winced. "Ow."

"Your still in pain?"

"Mhmm."

"Then your definitely not contracting. Contractions don't last this long." He said as he got up from the chair he was sitting in and went to check the read out. "How long have you had the pain?"

"About fifteen minutes I think. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get Kayla."

Just as he was about to go to the door There OB Dr. Del Amico came briskly through it with a nurse in tow.

"Ciara. Your aunt filled me in on everything. Sorry I couldn't be here sooner I got caught up in an emergency delivery."

She winced again. "It's okay. Ben was actually about to go find one of you. I'm in a lot of pain."

"It's been going on for fifteen minutes. There's no way those are contractions." Ben told his colleague.

"How bad is the pain? One to 10?

"I don't know, like a four, maybe. But it's probably just a bruise from when I fell down. I just need some Tylenol or something."

Dr. Del Amico did a quick exam and then sat down on the stool that was right next to her. By this point Ben was already back at his wife's side.

"Well, there's no evidence of abruption."

"Great."

He rubbed her shoulder. "See? I told you things would be okay."

"CBC with platelets, PT/PTT."

Her doctor was throwing out a bunch of words and none of them made sense to Ciara.

"Wait why? What for?" He asked.

"Twenty percent of abruptions have ultrasound findings. So, we want to send these labs to be sure."

Ciara sighed as the blonde doctor gave her a reassuring smile. "But the baby looks great, heart rate's good, excellent variability."

She looked down at her stomach and gently rubbed it. Everyone was telling her that everything would be fine, but she just had this gut feeling they were wrong.

"Ciara, Ciara, hey, Ciara?" She looked up at the older woman. "Here's what I would say to you and your husband if he weren't a doctor. The placenta separates from the womb and when it bleeds the baby can be deprived of oxygen. Now, even if we don't see a blood clot the labs will give us advanced warning before the baby's in trouble."

She sniffled "Okay."

"Okay. Give her twelve of betamethasone."

"Oh, come on."

"Ben, we have to mature the baby's lungs in case of an emergent-."

Ciara shook her head. "No, no, no. I have just shy of two months left to go. This baby is not coming until then. Tell her Ben."

"That's what we're all hoping for believe me."

"I- I can wait one more week Ana. I mean that will give the baby better odds of survival, right?'

She nodded. "The risk of prematurity goes way down at that point. But I still wouldn't recom-."

"I can wait, I'll go on bed rest, I'll use a bedpan, I won't move. Ben will wait on me hand and foot. I can do this."

Ciara and Ben looked over to see aunt Kayla walking into the room. She was going to ask how things were progressing when the brunette spoke first.

"Aunt Kayla. Tell Dr. Del Amico that I don't need anymore drugs. Tell her that the magnesium will work and if I go home I'll be good and stay on bedrest and that everything will be fine."

Both Kayla and Ben felt like they could cry. They knew how badly she wanted to carry the baby to term but as doctors they also knew that might not be the case.

"You know that I and everyone else here wants you to have a healthy baby."

"Then why do you keep focusing on a worst-case scenario?" She started to cry.

"Rockstar that's her job. She's just making sure we know what can possibly happen." Ben told her as he soothingly rubbed her shoulder.

###

"How are you feeling?"

"Not good. You were right about that medicine. The magnesium has drained all my life force." She groaned.

"Just think it's what's best for the baby."

Ciara lowered her head and sighed. "We're so not ready for this."

"No one is ever ready for this."

"Yeah, but we don't even have a car seat or a stroller

"We have a crib though."

"We don't have a name." She countered.

"Well I was kind of hoping we could name them after your father. But we are having a girl so that takes care of that."

She smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean we could have named him after my dad, but I doubt Hope would really love to have a grandson named Clyde." He joked.

"Clyde? No, I don't think so."

"But at this point I don't care what we're gonna call her." Ben admitted.

"Oh, my God." Ciara visibly winced.

"What is it? Is it a contraction?"

"I don't know, I think my water broke. Ugh."

Ben got up from the chair next to her and went over to her IV.

"Okay hold on Rockstar."

"What are you doing?"

"Opening up your saline." Once he was done with that he ran over to the door and opened it. We need some help in here!" He yelled.

"Are you sure it's not a contraction?" She asked him.

He shook his head no. "Nothing's on the monitor."

All of a sudden, a machine started to beep causing Ciara to freak out.

"Oh shit, what's that?

"Her heart rate's dropping."

"Oh, God, how low? Is she going to be okay?"

"Okay, baby I need you to get on your left side now." He said as he examined her between her legs.

"Ciara?" Dr. Del Amico called out as she reentered the room with the same nurse as before.

"She's having sharp pain and a gush of blood." Ben told her.

"Shit. Heart rate's in the sixties. We're going to the O.R. now!"

"What's going on? Is it an abruption?

"Looks that way. Sherly Stat, page Anesthesia and have Dr. Johnson meet us down in the O.R.

"No, I don't want to be unconscious."

"General anesthesia is quicker."

She spoke more firmly this time. "I want to be awake for the birth."

Not having time to argue Ana nodded.

###

"Opening the uterus. Hang two units of packed cells." Del Amico said.

"Is everything okay?" Ciara said as she couldn't see anything from where she was laying.

"Banded scissors." Kayla asked for.

"Everything is going to be okay Rockstar don't worry."

A nurse handed Kayla the pair of scissors

"Okay…cord is cut."

Ana took the baby in her arms and frowned.

"Come on, little girl, give me a cry."

When the baby wasn't moving or making a sound Ana handed the baby to Kayla who brought her over to a small bed.

"Pulse is less than sixty." A nurse told the two doctors.

"Okay let's bag her." Her aunt said.

"What's going on? Why is she not breathing? Someone answer me!"

Ben gently squeezed her shoulder. "Relax baby it's okay."

"No, it's not something is wrong with our baby."

"Intubation tray, Three-0 ET tube."

"Adding twenty units Pit to the bag." The nurse informed Dr. Johnson.

"I'm in!"

"Okay Ciara? Ciara!"

Ciara turned her gaze away from her child to her OB. She felt like she was in a complete daze and didn't know what to do.

"Yeah?"

"I need you and Ben to listen to me. There was an abruption clot and it consumed all of your clotting factors. Your uterus is not responding to massage, so we need to pack it off."

"Draw up epi, .03. Holding compressions!" Kayla yelled.

"Pulse up to one twenty." The NICU nurse told her.

"Okay get ready to move."

"Wait! Where are you taking her?" Ciara all but cried.

"Honey there taking her to the NICU where they can take better care of her." Her aunt said.

"Damn it." Ana swore.

"What? What's going on?" Ben asked her.

"The uterus is boggy and hemorrhagic, and the sutures are making it worse, not better. Nothing has changed after twenty minutes. She's not clotting at all."

"Is she in DIC?"

She shook her head. "The FFP should reverse that now that the baby's out."

"What if it doesn't?"

"Pressure's down to eighty over fifty." Another nurse said

"All right, two more units." Kayla yelled as she walked back over to her niece.

"We have to control this bleeding." Ana said

Ciara craned her neck to the side and watched as they took her daughter out of the room. She immediately panicked and grabbed onto Bens arm super tight.

"Go to the NICU."

He vehemently shook his head. "No, I'm staying here with you."

"I want you to stay with the baby."

"Ciara…"

"Shut up, shut up, Ben please, just shut up." The brunette raised her voice though her tears she was trying to hold back. "I need you to stay with the baby."

"Trying to ligate the uterine arteries." Dr. Del Amico called out.

"Please go, I will call you if we need you. I just don't want her to be alone." She started to sob.

Ben bent his head down and laid his hands on her face and gave her lips a quick hard kiss. "I love you Ciara Alice Weston."

She gently caressed his cheek. "I love you too Benjamin. Now go be with our daughter."

###

Ben was on his way down the hall when he ran into Jordan. As soon as she saw him she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I got your nine one, one page. Is everything okay?"

He hugged her back. "No. Ciara went into preterm labor."

His sister pulled away. "She what?"

"She was in the bathroom and felt some cramping and then everything went black. By the time I got home she was lying on the floor unconscious."

"Oh my god…I should probably go see her."

He shook his head as he continued down the hall with Jordan beside him. "You can't. She's still in surgery. They had to do an emergency c- section."

"Well then why aren't you with her? You should be with Ciara."

"She wanted me to go be with the baby. I was on my way there now."

"I'll go with you then." He gave his sister a nod. "Did you call Hope? She's going to want to know what's going on."

"I tried calling her on the way here, but it went straight to voicemail."

"I still have Rafe's number. Let me call him and see if he can get ahold of her."

"Good idea." He told her as they stopped in front of the NICU doors.

'It's ringing…Hey Rafe? Yeah, it's me Jordan. Ben is trying to reach Hope. Yeah, but it went straight to voicemail. It's Ciara. She went into premature labor."

###

"Ciara you've had uterotonics, packing an O'Leary stitch and a B-Lynch brace."

"Uterotonics? I don't understand. What is that?"

"Honey uterotonics was used to reduce postpartum hemorrhage." Kayla told her.

"Am I still bleeding?

Ana nodded. "Yes. Blood has penetrated the thickness of the uterine wall. I don't know what else to do. We can keep waiting for you to clot. Or we can start thinking about a hysterectomy."

"So, your telling me I'd lose my uterus?"

Del Amico nodded.

The brunette lowered her head as tears started to spill from her eyes. If she had to have her uterus taken out that means she wouldn't be able to have anymore children. And the way things were looking now her baby girl might not even make it. So, if she could, she wanted to make sure she did everything humanly possible to ensure she has the ability to have more kids.

"Okay how long can we wait?"

"Too many transfusions put you back to where blood clots start to form throughout your bodies small blood vessels. And then the bleeding gets even worse." Kayla responded.

###

When Ciara finally woke up Ben was walking into the room. She turned her head towards him and smiled.

"Hey."

"Hey baby."

"How's she doing?"

Ben walked over to the bed and pulled the chair out that was next to it and sat down.

"She's fine. All things considered. She's still intubated but, uh, she's satting well and pressure's holding with medicine. She's also making urine. And the NICU attending ordered a brain scan."

"Wait a brain scan? Why would she need that?" Ciara started to panic. "His brain was deprived of oxygen, so the scan was just precautionary to make sure there wasn't any damage. But everything was clear."

She softened. "Well, those are all good things, right?"

"Yeah, all good things."

There was silence for a moment before Ciara cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Is one gonna be enough?"

"I'm sorry what?

"One baby. See um…my uterus wouldn't stop bleeding and Del Amico did everything she could, but..."

He frowned. "You had a hysterectomy?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, one is all we need."

"But Ben-."

"Hey it's okay." He reassured her as he grabbed onto her hand and gently held it. "I'm okay with just having one child with you. Because to be honest I never thought I'd even have a wife and kids. And now I do. So, I'm okay with it being just us three."

Ciara nodded and wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"So, um, I don't know if aunt Kayla or Ana told you but I'm not going to be able to see her for a while. Apparently, I can't get to the NICU for at least 24 hours."

He shook his head. "You don't have to wait that long."

Ben produced a small monitor out of his pocket and smiled. He put it in front of his wife and pressed the on button. A second later the screen came to life and their child could be seen on the screen.

"That's when I told her to wave to Mom. Yeah, she's a smart one."

"Ha-ha. She's barely a few hours old."

He shook his head. "That doesn't mean a thing."

They stared at the screen for a few minutes till Mrs. Weston tuned to her husband.

"Lena."

"Hmm?"

"Lena. It's short for Marlena. I figured if it weren't for her deeming you mental fit to return to society we would never have crossed paths. So, I'd like to call her Lena, if that's okay."

He smiled as tears formed in his eyes. "It's more than okay Rockstar. What about a middle name though?"

"Since I picked out her first name I think it'd be only fair if you chose her middle name."

He let his brain go through a bunch of names before one came to mind that he liked.

"When Jordan was picking out a new name she decided on Marie for her middle name. So maybe we could honor her and Marlena. They have both have been big champions of us when the rest of the town was dead set against us being together."

"Lena Marie Weston. It's perfect."

Ben leaned his forehead against Ciara's. "Your perfect Ciara."


	4. Chapter 4

"I'd use some more flour. Plus you're going to want to roll the dough out a little thinner than that."

"Like you did the last batch? They looked hard as rocks."

Ciara laughed. "Point taken. Maybe I should just let you do your own thing. You seem to have a better handle of this than I do and it's my recipe."

"Well what's hard to grasp? Making the batter that became the dough was easy and rolling it out and cutting it all into doughnuts is also proving to be easy."

"Well look at that. The student has surpassed the teacher."

"More like the blind trying to lead the not so blind but okay." He joked as a smile danced across his face.

"Hey I'm not that bad!"

"No you're not. But I wouldn't quit your day job."

Ciara playfully bumped shoulders with him and laughed. "You're terrible."

"At least my doughnuts taste better."

"We don't know that yet. So don't get too cocky."

Ben grabbed the doughnut cutter and placed it onto a corner of his dough. He pressed down making a perfect cut before lifting it up and putting it on an empty cookie sheet.

"We know that yours look like thin disks and mine look nearly perfect."

Ciara stuck her tongue out at him and went back to focusing on the mess in front of her.

###

He put on a yellow oven mitt and slowly opened the door to the oven. When he peered inside he saw that the cakey treats were done. He slid them out and placed them on top of the stove.

"Those should probably cool a bit before we do anything with them."

"In the meantime we can clean up the island a bit." She told him as she dipped the last doughnut hole into some powder sugar.

"Good idea. It seems someone made a big mess."

She put her hand over her heart and gasped. "Who me?"

"Yes you. You got flour and powder sugar all over the place. It's even on your face." He told her as he picked up the tiny doughnuts and put them next to the stove.

"Really where?"

When she wasn't looking Ben rubbed his fingers in some powder and walked over to his girlfriend.

"You've got it right here." He told her as he rubbed his dirty fingers all over her right cheek.

She squealed. "Ben!"

He laughed. "I'm sorry I couldn't help myself."

"Well maybe I won't be able to help myself when I dump this cinnamon sugar all over you."

He shook his head. "You wouldn't dare."

Ms. Brady scooped up some cinnamon that was next to her and moved so she was standing in front of him. "Wanna bet?"

They both stood still like statues as they waited for other to make a move. After a few moments Ciara did as she promised and dumped the spice all over his hair.

Once she was done he shook his head causing it to go all over the place. This made Ciara cry out in laughter.

"Ciara..."

"You should really see yourself right now. You look hilarious as fuck."

"Oh I do, do I?"

"Mhmm I should take a picture of it and send it to Jordan. I'm sure she'd get a kick out of it."

Ben smiled. "You do realize I'm going to get you back for this right?"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Don't tempt me Rockstar. You won't like what I do in return." He told her as he placed his hands on either side of the counter leaving Ciara with no place to go.

Ciara chuckled when she saw one of his fingers land on a spot of dark chocolate sauce.

"I did not even touch the chocolate sauce that was all you."

He laughed. "Yeah it was. But it's not nearly as bad as bad as the mass you got going on."

Ciara nodded as she saw Ben go to grab a dish towel. She knew he was going to wipe his hands and decided to stop him.

"Why don't you let me get it off for you?"

Ben nodded and lifted his hand up. He was fully expecting her to wipe it off with a dish towel that was on the counter but he was surprised when her hand went up to grasp his own.

She brought it up to her lips and drew the finger into her mouth. Her lips closed down and she let her teeth gently graze across his skin as she sucked off the sweet sauce.

Once she got it all she let his hand slip down to his side.

They stared at each other for a moment.

What Ciara did was so hot. It was having an effect on Ben.

She had been teasing him all day and he couldn't take it anymore.

He bridged the small gap that was between them and crashed his lips onto hers. Ciara instantly kissed him back as his fingers tangled into her hair.

Never taking his lips off of hers he used his free arm to push almost everything off the island. He then hoisted her up so she was sitting on the granite counter top.

When they finally pulled away it was so she could help take off his shirt. Once it was Ciara discarded the floral dress she was wearing leaving her in just a pair of black panties and matching bra.

Ciara smiled at Ben and eyed his pants. He laughed a little and quickly discarded them along with his boxer briefs. Not too long after did she do the same with the rest of her clothes.

He then looked back up at his girlfriend and smiled.

She looked so good he felt had to have her now or he'd die.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"Not like we haven't had sex together. We do it all the time."

He shook his head. "No I just mean do you want to have it here?"

"Yes. So let's do it before the mood is ruined."

He pulled her back in for another passionate kiss this time shorter then last.

When he pulled away from her lips he moved his body a little closer to her, so they were practically nose to nose.

Ben gave her a look as if asking for permission one last time and after a moment she gave him a nod.

It wasn't long till he was comfortably inside her and she was laying her back onto the countertop of the island. He then carefully laid his arms down on the counter so as not crush Ciara and then buried his head into the crook of her shoulder. She in turn wrapped her arms on either side of his hips and guided him roughly back and forth.

After a few moments Ben lifted his head and brought his lips to her ears. He slowly sucked on her small lobe and then muttered something into her ear that was dirty. Something that was pure filth and even a little more.

She moaned in response. "Oh..Ben…"

He pulled away so he could look at her and smirked. "You like that huh?"

"Mhmm yeah…"

"Mhmm and you know you're so tight right now for me baby…so tight."

"Uh…yeah!"

Out of the corner of Ben's eye he saw the bottle of chocolate sauce laying on the edge of the counter. He gave Ciara a big shit eating grin and reached over for the sweet sauce.

"Who doesn't like a little chocolate right baby?"

Ciara dropped her arms down to her sides and panted. "Mhmm…"

"I bet it tastes even better on you." He winked.

Ciara groaned as Ben stilled inside her and watched as he brought the sauce over to them.

"You…you stopped."

"I know baby but this is going to be well worth it"

She knew Ben was right. He never disappointed her when it came to sex and she had a feeling that he wouldn't let her down now.

He opened up the chocolate sauce and slowly poured it over one of her breasts.

The coldness of the chocolate against Ciara's hot sweaty body made her shiver. And when she felt his tongue dart out to lick the sweetness off her hard taught nipple she felt her whole body tingle from within.

Ben looked up at her as he dragged his teeth along her skin and pulled it back. Ciara arched her body upward pushing Ben's face even closer to her breast.

His hand went up and he gently squeezed her as his lips made open mouth kisses on her skin.

She instantly moaned when she felt him devouring her like it would be the last time he ever touched her like that.

Just as she was getting use to him playing with her breast she was completely caught off-guard as he started to roll his hips.

Ciara's arms instinctively went to Ben's back and her nails dug into his skin and he moved his head to tend to her other breast.

He quickened the pace of his thrusting causing Ciara to cry out in ecstasy.

"Don't…stop…"

He lifted his head up from her breasts and smirked. "Never."

She let out a soft whine as he rubbed his nose up her collarbone to the nape of her neck. When she felt his moist lips back on her body she craned her head back and let Ben began to devoure her neck with his mouth.

Her whole body was on fire and she could feel herself getting closer to teetering over the edge.

"That's it Rockstar." He spoke into her ear.

She could feel his hot breath on her skin and couldn't hold back the sounds that wanted to come out of her.

And with the way he was working her body it would only take a few more thrusts and she'd be ready to explode.

"Ah...uh…"

"Cum for me Ciara." He pleaded in that sexy way he pronounces her name.

At the sound of his voice alone, she could feel a warm feeling spreading up from her core all the way to her stomach. Her toes curled into her tightly and her legs clenched around Ben's waist like her life depended on it.

Once she felt Ben felt Ben hitting the soft spongy area inside her she couldn't hold it back anymore and fell over the edge with her man right behind her.

After a few minutes Ciara sighed.

"Oh god…that was…"

He looked up at her and smirked. "Incredible? Spectacular? Amazing?"

She nodded back. "All of the above."

"So it was that good huh?"

She sat up on her hands. "It's always that good. But I will say today was really different for me. I never had sex in a kitchen before."

He nodded. "I'll admit it was my first time too."

Ciara moved her hand and it landed on a patch of flour. She lifted it up and laughed.

"God we made such a mess."

"Yeah we'll probably want to clean that up. But first I think we should take a shower. This counter isn't the only thing that's dirty."

"Mhmm that's because a certain somebody decided to pour chocolate all over me."

"Well I didn't see you complaining when I was licking it off of you."

"Your right I wasn't but that's because you were so good at it. Even if you missed a spot."

"You're crazy. There's no way I missed a spot."

"Yes you did. See?" She pointed to a spot on the side of one of her breasts."

"Shit I guess I did. I better clean it up then." He told her before lowering his head.

"Ben…Ben!"

When his lips latched onto her already well loved breast she let out a surprised laugh.

But that laugh quickly turned into a moan when his tongue darted out at her nipple.

She grabbed onto his head and pulled him into her closer as she could feel him twitch inside her. Apparently, this was turning him on too.

"We…we should…we should probably take this into the shower."

The two of them were so lost in the throws of passion that they didn't even hear the door open.

"That smells good! Did you make Gram- oh my god!" Claire screamed.

Ciara looked over to see her niece staring at them with her hand covering her mouth.

"Shit. Ben!"

He looked up and was quick to try cover her but it wasn't working out so well.

"Fuck. Shit…"

"What the hell are you two doing?"

"We were making Grama Alice's doughnuts and one thing lead to another and here we are."

Ben grabbed a dish towel that was hanging off the counter and used it to cover up Ciara's breasts.

"Claire I'm so sorry…" He told her.

"Uh just get out of here and put some clothes on please."

"Right…" Ciara wanted to get up but realized she couldn't. "Um Ben were still…you know."

"Oh god! Here." Claire said as she tossed a blanket over to them.

"Ben caught it and was quick to wrap it around them. He was about to move them when there was another voice outside the door.

"Hey Claire…"

They all froze when they heard Tripp making his way over to the front door. Before he could open it Claire ran over to it and intercepted him.

"Tripp hi!" She poked her head though the small opening of the door.

"Um hi…"

"What are you doing here?"

He laughed. "What am I doing here? I live here."

"Right of course." She nodded.

"Aren't you going to let me in?'

"Yes it's just um….were…were out of toilet paper!"

"Okay…?"

"And we need more like right now. So I need you to go get some."

"It can't wait?"

She shook her head. "It's a girl emergency and I really need some. Could you just go?"

He thought something was off but agreed anyway. "Um sure. I'll be back in a bit."

When he was finally gone the blonde shut the door behind her.

"Thank you Claire!" She heard her aunt yell from the hall.

"You two owe me!"

Claire waited for a response from one of them but all she heard was the sound of the bathroom door slamming and Ciara's loud laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ben you have to…you have to wake up. Ben!" Ciara cried as she shook him.

After a few more shakes he let out of a groan and tried to open his eyes. He blinked a few times due to the harsh lightening and tried to focus despite his blurry vision. Once his eyesight cleared up his eyes landed on Ciara.

"Ciara…how'd I-?"

"You…you don't remember?" She sniffled.

"No. I remember arguing with Stefan. He said to wait for the plow he paid to come so they could clear a path for us to get to you in this storm, but I was too stubborn. I knew every second wasted was another second you were in danger."

 **Flashback**

"Plows five minutes out." Stefan said as he hung up his phone.

"Five minutes in this storm could turn into ten. Ciara doesn't have that kind of time!" Ben yelled as he paced the length of the living room.

"Do you see how much snow is out there? There's no way we are getting to that warehouse without a plow to clear the way. I get that you're scared for Ciara, but you can't be her hero if you're dead in the snow."

Ben gave him a small nod letting his friend know he was right.

"It's just…she's counting on me and I can't let her down."

Stefan walked over to Ben and placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Were going to find her man. You have my word on that. I won't let anything happen to her." He lowered his arm down to his side and sighed. "I'm going to grab the keys to the truck. Don't do anything stupid till I come back."

Stefan walked out of the room leaving Ben all to himself.

He stared at the door for a minute before muttering a few curse words to himself and grabbed his jacket off one of the chairs. Without looking back, he put his jacket on and rushed over to the front door.

If his friend wanted to wait that was fine. But Ben was going be damned if he'd do the same.

 **End of Flashback**

"Then I remember making it practically all the way here, but my car got stuck in the snow. So, I ran the rest of the way."

"So, you…you don't remember him knocking you out? He gave you enough Demerol to bring down a horse. You were out for over an hour"

"He was holding a knife to your throat."

She nodded. "And the then his friend came up behind you…"

 **Flashback**

"Chase…just let her go."

"Now why would I do that?"

Chase ran his nose along Ciara's cheek and planted a wet sloppy kiss on her neck. She let out a whine as she tried to squirm away from his grasp. This caused him to pull her tighter to him.

"I swear to god if you touch her, I will blow your brains out! Now let her go!"

"I would but I've been dreaming of having Ciara again since I left Salem. I've come too far to give up now." He dropped one of his arms down to her hip and from there slowly started to drag it near the spot he was craving to touch. "I didn't plan on having an audience, but I suppose it might be fun to have you watch." He smirked.

"You son of a bitch!"

Ben was about pull the trigger when he felt a stinging sensation in his neck. He tried to pull the trigger, but his fingers suddenly started to grow weak. He looked down at his hand and noticed everything was becoming hazy.

Ciara could be heard screaming out to him. And although he could hear her, she sounded so far away.

Ben took one last look up at Ciara before he succumbed to the looming darkness and fell to the hard cold concreate.

 **End of Flashback**

"I'm remembering now. I just…maybe Stefan was right maybe I should have waited. Maybe we wouldn't be in this predicament."

"You…you couldn't have known this would have happened. Ciara said as she reached out to grab his hand.

"Damn baby your hands are freezing."

"I-I know it's so cold in here. So cold."

Ben quickly took off his jacket and went to help Ciara into it.

"Here take my jacket."

She nodded as she out stretched her arm to put it on. When she got to the other sleeve she winced in pain. "Ow."

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"No. Chase and his friend crashed the van they had me in and I think I bruised or broke some ribs. It hurts, and it's been hard to breathe. Not to mention it doesn't help that it's cold in here and I'm being held captive by a crazy rapist." She cried.

"Hey it's okay. C'mere Bobcat."

Ben pulled Ciara into his arms and was careful to avoid the areas that were hurting her.

"He's going to come back and-and he's going to try and rape me again."

"I won't let him Bobcat, I won't. He'll have to kill me first."

"How are we even supposed to make it out of here? He has us locked in this cage like a bunch of animals."

"I'll figure something out for us don't worry. I'll get us out of here. And Stefan knows where we are so I'm sure he'll have people swarming here in no time."

###

"Okay well these bars are definitely sturdy. Thin but sturdy." Ben said as he shook the bars around them.

"What about the lock?"

He picked it up and examined it as best he could. "I'd need something to pick it open with and I don't have anything."

She cocked her head to the side. "My hair."

"What about your hair?"

"There' a…there's some bobby pins in my hair."

Mr. Weston moved closer to her and carefully ran his hands along his girlfriend's hair. When he finally found one, he gently removed it from her brown swept up locks.

"Alright got it."

"Good now…now get us out of here."

He was about to turn towards the lock when he noticed Ciara's eyes close.

She had been able to get a little warm thanks to the jacket and the pair of socks Ben took off his feet and put on hers. Both were sweet gestures but not enough to keep her body from trying to fall asleep.

"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" He tried to joke. But when she didn't respond he got worried. "Ciara?"

"I'm just so cold. So cold and tired."

"No, no you can't sleep now Rockstar. I need you to stay awake. Just until I get us out of here and to a hospital. Okay?"

She slowly opened her eyes and nodded. 'Okay."

"Okay just imagine were somewhere else. Somewhere warm and safe." He said

Ciara forced herself to sit up a bit and did her best to push her sleepiness away.

"Hmmm I can, can picture us in your room. And-and you have a fire going in the fire place and were…were snuggled under your blankets watching Christmas movies and…and eating Chinese."

"Christmas movie's…what kind of Christmas movies?" He asked her as pulled the bobby pin open.

"Maybe The Holiday…or…or Die Hard."

"Die hard? I didn't know you liked Die Hard?"

"It's the ultimate Christmas movie. P-plus John saves Holly in the-the end."

He turned to her and smiled "Yeah he did."

"Just like you're going to s-save me."

"I just need to open this lock and-. "Ben paused when he heard the voices of Chase and his friend.

Ben quickly moved away from the bars and pulled Ciara into his side. Before Chase was in view, he made sure to hide the pin.

"Awe isn't this a cute moment. Boyfriend and girlfriend huddling close to stay warm."

"We wouldn't have to if this place wasn't so Goddamn freezing." Ben snapped.

"Oh, you're both cold? Then I have just the thing to help keep two warm." He smirked before turning around and going through a bag he had kept on the table behind him.

Ben didn't like the look he saw on Chase's face. Or the gleam he saw in his eyes. It reminded him of himself and how he was with Chad and Abby.

"What are you going to do?"

"Well Ben plans have changed. Seems your buddy DiMera knows where we are and has tipped off the cops. And I can't have them finding me so I'm going to have to do what I did all those months ago. Let's just hope this time it works,"

Chase turned around with two containers of accelerant and a box of matches in hand.

Ciara shook her head. "Are you saying…?"

"You know I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for Rafe Hernandez. He had to swoop in and play the hero. But this time…this time he won't be coming to save you."

"Chase…Chase please don't do this."

"But you know what? I think I like this better. The man who tried to burn two people alive gets to sit and watch as he and the woman he loves suffer the same fate. Though from what I heard they made it out unscathed. Unfortunately for you two that won't be the case."

"Please don't- don't do this. If you want to hurt me then go ahead. Just please-please don't hurt Ben. Ben, Ben didn't do anything to you just please let him go!"

"I'm sorry Ci but I can't do that."

Chase tossed one of the containers to his friend and laughed when he caught it.

Ben and Ciara kept pleading for him to not do it, but he wouldn't listen to them nor would his friend. All they could do is watch as the two men poured the liquid around where the cage had been placed.

"Look just let us go and we won't tell anyone it was you. We mean it just let us go."

Ben was ignored as Chase made his way to the front of the cage and proceeded to run a match along the box.

"I'd love to stay and watch your love go up in flames but that would mean I'd have to burn along with you. So, I guess this is goodbye."

Chase dropped the match and watched as the ground below him started to catch on fire. He stood there for a moment smiling at his handy work before his friend grabbed him and pulled them to the exit of the building.

"It's okay. I'm just going to pick this lock and then get us out of here."

"I-I don't think I can hold on much longer…"

Ben placed the pin in the lock and turned to his girlfriend. "Of course, you can Ciara. Just a few more minutes and we'll be home free."

Ciara coughed as the smoke began to fill her lungs.

She wanted to believe they'd make it out alive, but they were running out of time. She had used up all her remaining energy pleading with their captive to let them go and didn't think she could stay awake much longer.

"So sleepy…"

Ben jiggled the bobby pin into the lock till he felt it hit the right spot it was intended to. Just one more twist and he'd have the lock open. But when he turned to look at Ciara and noticed her eyes closed, he panicked and dropped the bobby pin.

He scrambled to try and find where it landed and when he couldn't he let out a frustrated groan.

"Okay baby it's time to open your eyes okay?" When she didn't, he grew more worried. "Come on baby."

Ben turned around and started to gently shake her. He begged and pleaded with her to wake up and with each passing second, she didn't he started to become a little more unglued.

Not being able to take it anymore he lifted his legs and started to kick at the door. After a few hard kicks the thing bars snapped, and the door opened.

He knew he only had a few more moments before the fire made its way into the cage.

"Bobcat I really need you to wake up okay? Just wake up god damnit!"

Ben waited a few more seconds and when there was no movement from Ciara, he reached over to her and pulled her into his arms. He dragged them to the opening and paused. The flames had finally made it way up to metal and the only way they were going to get out is if he navigated them through the small inferno.

Once his head cleared the metal of the cage, he lifted them up off the floor.

He cursed as he felt the fire burn the bottom of his feet.

Weston readjusted his girlfriend in his arms and trudged through the oppressive heat. He knew at some point he'd feel the pain that was no doubt radiating though his feet but right now all he could think about is getting himself and Ciara out alive.

Ben did his best to hold back a cough as the thick black smoke made its way into his lungs. His eyes started to tear up, but he knew he was only a few steps away till he reached the cold night air.

When his feet landed on the cold white crunchy snow, he let out a small hiss. As much as it hurt, he knew he had to keep going. He just had to get to the hospital.

He figured if he could just make it to his car everything would be okay. It was stuck in the snow but surely, he could push it out. If he could get them out of a cage surrounded by flames, then this shouldn't be all that difficult.

Once he saw his car in sight, he rushed Ciara over to the back seat. He quickly opened the doors and carefully laid her down.

"Don't worry baby everything is going to be okay. I'm going to get us to the hospital."

He slammed the back door and hopped into the front seat. He then grabbed his keys he hastily left on the center console and went to put his car key in the ignition. The only sound that could be heard was a slightly loud cranking noise. He tired again but was only met with the same sound. Ben slammed his hands on the steering wheel and did his best to hold it together.

After a few seconds a light bulb went off in his head. His cellphone. He could call for help. The distraught man swiftly ransacked his car till he found his phone.

He was fast to unlock the device but all but cried when he saw he had no service.

This meant he would have to carry Ciara all the way to the hospital. She was counting on him to save her and he couldn't let her down.

###

"Blood bank, come in. This is Brady in ER. l need to know what you have available in fresh, whole blood."

"Make sure that the deliberators are charged. We have backup generators, but I don't want to leave anything to chance." Kayla informed a nurse.

"Rex."

Rex turned around to see Stefan walking toward him.

"Hey, I'm little busy here-."

"Have you seen Ben or Ciara?"

Rex put his walkie talkie in his lab coat pocket and shook his head. "No should I have?"

"So, you haven't heard?"

"Heard what…?"

"Ciara was kidnapped today."

Kayla's ears perked up to the sound of her niece's name and walked over to the two men.

"What do you mean Ciara was kidnapped?" She panicked.

"She was taken from the loft this morning. Ben and I were able to track down where she was taken but like an idiot he went after her on his own. By the time I was able to get there with my plow guy the warehouse was in flames."

"Shit." Rex cursed.

"I searched but there was no sign of them. Just Ben's abandoned car. I figured he would have come here."

"Well someone should call Hope. She can put out a search party." Kayla suggested.

"I already called her. She has everyone she can spare looking for Ciara."

"Well maybe-." Rex was going to continue when he heard a loud banging sound.

The lights flicked for a few seconds before Rex, Kayla, and, Stefan turned to where the sound was emanating from and saw Ben standing in the doorway of the stairwell.

"I need help over here!" He screamed just before his legs gave out and he fell to his knees.

"Someone get me a gurney!" Kayla yelled as she ran over to her niece.

One of the nurses wheeled a gurney over to where Ben was with Ciara. Mr. Weston want to lay her down on the bed himself, but he was too weak to do it.

"Hey, it's okay I got her man."

Rex carefully slid his arms under Ciara's body and lifted her up over to the gurney.

"She-she was in a car accident. Chase crashed the van he had her in. She was complaining that she had trouble breathing and that-that her ribs hurt." He said, out of breath.

Dr. Johnson shook her head. "Chase? He's locked up in a mental institution."

"Not anymore."

"Okay I'm going to need a CBC, Chem 7, and a Chest x-ray."

Ben tried to get up from his knees and winced at the pain in his feet. Rex noticed this and hung back.

"Hey, let me get you a wheel chair."

He nodded as his friend rushed to get it for him.

"You know that was pretty stupid running off on your own. You could have gotten yourselves killed." Stefan chastised.

"I-I had to do something." He said as he sat down at the chair that was put in front of him.

As Dr. Brady wheeled Ben off right behind Ciara, he and Stefan noticed his burned feet.

"Shit what did you do to your feet?"

"I took my shoes off…Ciara's feet were cold, so I gave her my socks."

"And you didn't think to put your shoes back on?" Rex asked.

"No and then-then flames were right up against the cage he had us in and the only way out was to go through them."

"Well don't worry you both are safe now."

Ben was going to respond when Rex turned the wheel chair in the opposite direction of where Ciara was.

"What are you doing Rex? I need to be with Ciara."

"What you need is to get yourself checked out. Those burns look pretty bad."

Stefan nodded. "He's right. Plus, Ciara is with Kayla and she'll take good care of her."

Not having it in him to fight them, he let himself be wheeled into one of the exam rooms.

###

It had been over an hour since he had seen Ciara. Rex had insisted he run the standard tests on Ben and tend to his feet.

Ben ended up having a little smoke inhalation, second degree burns on his feet, and few scrapes and cuts. Dr. Brady was surprised the burns weren't more severe.

Once the final strip of gauze was wrapped around Ben's damaged feet, he was he was ready to go see his girlfriend.

Before he could slip off the bed, he was warned by his doctor that he'd have to stay off his feet for a while. So, if he was going to leave that room it was going to be by a wheel chair.

Rex knew he could try to argue with Ben about getting some rest but he knew it would do no good. The man had been asking about Ciara nonstop since they were separated. If he was going to get rest it was going to be when he finally knew his girlfriend was okay.

When the wheel the wheel chair was put in front of him and he was comfortably situated into it Stefan offered to bring him to Ciara's room.

"I'm sure Ciara is doing okay. Kayla wouldn't let anything happen to her own flesh and blood."

"Yeah but you didn't see her like I did. She had trouble breathing and was so cold. At one point her skin looked like it was turning blue."

"And I'm sure they have seen worse come through this hospital"

He was going to respond when he saw Kayla standing near Ciara's room. Stefan saw her too and wheeled his friend over.

"Kayla how is Ciara? Can I go see her?"

She sighed. "Did Ciara tell you the extent of the car crash?"

"No why?"

"Aside from some smoke inhalation and hypothermia Ciara had a few broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Which I can assume was from the car crash you mentioned."

"Shit a collapsed lung? What can you do to repair that?'

"Well-. " Before she could continue the door to Ciara's room slammed behind them.

"What the hell is he doing here? What the hell are you doing here?" Defective Brady seethed.

"I just wanted to see Ciara. I needed to know she was okay.

"Oh hell no. You don't see her you don't go near her ever again do you understand me? Ever since you wormed you way into my daughter's life you've caused her nothing but trouble. Now thanks to you she was kidnapped!"

"Me? If it weren't for me she'd be dead right now! Maybe if you weren't so busy trying to railroad me you would have saw this coming."

"Don't you dare put this on me! I've been protecting her long before you came into the picture." Hope screamed.

"Sure you've been protecting her but you've been protecting her from the wrong person. When this all started you were certain it was me. If you had taken a moment to look beyond your obsession with me you would have known it was Chase. Then maybe, just maybe this would have been prevented."

"Get out! Get out, you're not welcome here!"

"Hope I think your overreacting a little here." Kayla tried interject.

"Kayla is right. Al that matters now is that Ciara and Ben are okay."

Hope shook her head. "I'm sorry Stefan I'm confused why are you here?"

"I'm here because Ciara and Ben are my friends and I care about them."

"Oh like you cared about Abby?"

During the argument Ben wheeled around everyone and over to the door. Hope noticed and was about to reach out and stop him when Kayla grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Once the door was closed behind him he looked over at Ciara and frowned. She looked so pale and frail.

When he made it over to her, he grabbed her hands and pulled them into his own. Seeing her up close broke him far more than he could have imagined. Ben lowered his head onto there hands and began to cry.

A few minutes later he felt a gentle squeeze come from his girlfriend's hands.

"Ben…?"

He lifted his head and smiled. "Ciara your awake."

She nodded and slowly opened her eyes. "Did I dream you, Kayla, my mother, and Stefan were arguing over me?"

"No, it wasn't a dream. We were just fighting over who gets to see you first. I won."

She smiled. "Liar."

One of his hands briefly left hers so he could wipe his eyes. "I'm sure Kayla is going to want to know you're a wake."

"You're in a wheelchair?" She noted.

"It's not a big deal. Rex just wants me off my feet for awhile since I burned them."

"Not a big deal? Ben that's a huge deal!"

"Well someone had to get us out of there."

Ciara frowned. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened."

"Hey it's okay. None of this is your fault."

"I'm assuming he wasn't caught?"

He nodded. "Last I heard."

She closed her eyes and sighed. This meant he was still out there and could come back and try to hurt her again. He probably would once he found out she was still alive.

"You know-."

"Don't say it."

"But he didn't get what he wants whose to say he won't try again?"

Ben squeezed her hands tight and brought them to his lips to give them a soft kiss.

"He can try all he wants. I won't let him hurt you."

"Promise?"

"Promise Bobcat."


	6. Chapter 6

Ciara had been forced to stay in the hospital for a week for observation before Kayla would even think about letting her go home.

When discharge day came Ben couldn't wait to spring her.

"Do I really need that?" Ciara pointed to the wheel chair Ben had brought in the room.

"Yes its hospital policy."

"But I feel fine."

"It's just till we get to the elevators. So humor me."

She gave him a small nod as the chair was brought over to her. She gingerly sat in the chair and let Ben place her bag on her lap.

"So, word on the street is you carried me all the way to the hospital."

"I did and no offence babe but I think you need to start hitting the gym with me."

"Shut up I am not that heavy!" She laughed.

He laughed back "Okay only a little."

As they were making their way by the admit desk, they saw Hope walking towards them.

"Oh, honey I just spoke to Kayla and she said you can go home. Isn't that wonderful news?"

"I know mom. She already told me."

"Well I have Rafe downstairs waiting with the car so I can take you home to the loft."

Ciara sighed. "I'm actually not going back to the loft. I mean only to get my stuff but I'm not staying there."

"After being grabbed there I could see why you wouldn't." There was a long pause before she asked. "So where will you be staying? With Maggie and Victor? Because you're welcome to stay with me and Rafe."

"No I'm not staying with Grampa Vic. I'm actually staying with Ben at the DiMera mansion."

"I'm sorry you're what?"

"When everything started Stefan offered that I stay at the mansion with him Ben, Gabi, and Ari. I was actually going to move in the day…the day Chase kidnapped me."

"Well now you don't have to you."

"Mom…"

"No I won't let you live over there with them. I just won't allow it!"

"I'm sorry mom it's not up to you. Now if you'd excuse us, we have somewhere to be."

"But-."

"I'll see you Christmas Eve."

Ben wheeled Ciara over to the elevator and once it opened, he helped her up and inside.

###

Once the final box was taped up Ciara took a look around the main living area of the loft.

She had spent most of her adult life there and it felt almost surreal that after today that would all end.

Ben walked up behind Ciara and wrapped his arms around her waist. She let out a contented sigh as she felt his lips land on her neck.

"Whatcha thinking about babe?"

"Hmm…just that after today I won't live here anymore."

"You're not regretting moving in with me are you?"

She turned herself around in his arms and shook her head. "No I'm not. This is just a big deal you know?"

He nodded. "I know. But this is a good thing."

"And with Chase still out there the mansion is a safer place for me."

"It really is."

"Too bad we can't…you know…one last time before we go."

Ben smiled. 'Maybe we can. No one is around….it's just us."

He pulled her into his chest and she smirked.

"I like the way you think."

Their lips crashed into each other as they let themselves fall back toward the couch. Ben's hands rapidly roamed all over her body as did hers with his.

When Ciara decided she wanted to feel more than fabric under finger tips she expertly brought her hands to his shirt and started to undo the buttons.

Wanting to do the same thing to his girlfriend, they unfortunately had to end their kiss.

She arched her back, back and crisscrossed her arms at the hem of her of her cream-colored sweater. Gripping the material, she pulled the article of clothing up and over her head causing her hair to fall haphazardly down against her flush cheeks.

Ciara looked down at Ben and smiled before helping him slip out of his black dress shirt.

Once they were both topless, they were quick to go back to making out.

They both knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of there clothes were strewn across the floor.

"Hmmm Ben…" Ciara moaned against his lips as she ground into him harder that she had been.

He pulled back and smiled. "You want to show me how you can be my little bendy bobcat?"

"Uh huh."

Ben was about to grab her legs when they heard the sound of keys hitting the kitchen countertop. They both stopped in horror and turned their heads to see Tripp standing in the kitchen sorting through mail. When he finally noticed their presence he loudly cursed and jumped back in surprise.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell are you two doing?"

"Come on Tripp you can't be that stupid."

"Ben…" Ciara chastised. "I thought you were going to be at work till later on?"

Tripp gawked at the couple for a few seconds before he shook his head. "Claire finished her shoot early so she came to finish out the rest of her shift so I could go home."

"Oh."

Ciara saw her ex was still staring and remembered she was still in an inappropriate position. She was quick to slide off Ben and plop herself down next to him on the couch. Ben then grabbed both their shirts and they quickly redressed.

"Look I get you two are together now, but you can't just parade around the loft having sex out in the open."

"Well that shouldn't be a problem anymore. Because once I gather all my things together, I won't be living here anymore."

The blonde frowned. "So, you're really leaving?"

She nodded back. "With Chase and his friend still out there, it's not safe to live here anymore. If I'm at the mansion there's security and tons of help. Harold is Stefan's live in butler and Michele the cook, he is always around too. Plus, Gabi and Ari live there."

"And Ben."

"Yes, and Ben. It's just better that I be there. More people to look out for me."

"And you couldn't stay at your mothers? Or your Grandfathers?"

"At hotel Kiriakis? Maggie and Vic have enough people staying there. As for my mom's…were still not on the best speaking terms."

"Right." Tripp looked down at the floor and then back up at her. "I'm going to miss having you around here you know? It won't be the same."

"I know."

The was a long silence before Ben got up from the couch and spoke.

"Well we should probably get your stuff and get going. Stefan and Gabi will be wondering where we are."

###

Ben popped back down on the bed as Ciara snuggled back into his chest.

"Okay was does yours say?"

Ben cracked open the fortune cookie that was in his hand and pulled the small piece of paper out. "Everything you ever wanted is right in front of you."

Ciara smiled." I like that one."

"Okay now your turn."

She quickly pulled the paper from the cookie and sighed. "What doesn't kill you doesn't makes you stronger. I don't know if I like that one. Seems a little ominous." She said as she popped the cookie in her mouth.

"I don't know I think it's kind of nice. Just a little reminder that all the shit you've been through only has made you stronger and will make you stronger."

"I guess so…"

She assumed they were going to go back to the movie but was surprised to find Ben leaning over edge of the bed and going though the nightstand drawer. When he came back up, he was holding a long rectangular gift in his hand.

"I have something I want you to open."

"You should save it for tomorrow morning when we open presents. I don't even have your gifts there under the tree."

"Well I kind of went crazy this year and bought you quite a few things. This one right here I wanted you to open with just me."

She eyed the gift and then Ben. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure now open it before I open it for you!"

Ciara laughed. "Alright, alright. You're such a kid sometimes."

"So are you now open it."

She stuck her tongue out at him before taking the beautifully wrapped box out of his hands.

Ben helped her sit up and once she was comfortable, she started to tear at the red paper. Once all the shinny red wrapping was gone, she could see a long black velvet box. She slowly opened it to reveal a white gold charm bracelet.

"Oh my god Ben it's so beautiful. This must have cost you a fortune."

"Don't worry about it Bobcat it's Christmas and I wanted to treat my best girl to some nice things."

Ciara spread out the charms so she could get a better look at them. There was a small bell that looked similar to her guardian one, a fortune cookie, a motorcycle, a stack of pancakes, a foot and a round one she couldn't place.

"The foot is that-."

"Because you kicked me in the face while I was trying to clean your feet?"

She laughed. "Yes. Now what about this round one?"

"That one, that one is a charm of the angel Cassiel."

"Cassiel?"

He nodded as he took the bracelet out of the box. "Give me your hand." She brought it up to him and watched as started to drape it around her skin.

"Cassiel is the protective angel that can help you deal with direct or dangerous situations by keeping a protective eye on you. He is the hand that can catch your fall. Just a little something that will be there when I'm not."

Once the jewelry was clasped and safely laying on her wrist she looked down and marveled at it.

"I love it Ben and I love you."

She cupped his cheek before leaning in to give him a sweet kiss.

"So, what do you say? You want to finish Die Hard?"

"Yes, then on to The Holiday."

Ben hit the play button on the remote and the snuggled back into the bed with Ciara curled up in his arms.

###

"What the hell is taking Stefan so long? It shouldn't take to long to shoot off a few emails to the Tokyo execs."

"Uh…I think he had to attach some paper work. So maybe he still had to scan everything in the computer."

Ben knew the real reason why they had all stopped at DiMera Enterprises. Stefan had planned on proposing to Gabi that night but was stupid and left ring in his office.

"Well if he's going to take this long, I might as well go in and double check some things for the line that is set to launch in a few days."

Ciara nodded. "I'll come with you. I'd love to see the dresses you were talking about."

Gabi opened the door to the back of the limo and both girls both stepped out into the night.

After a few seconds Ciara popped her head back into the car and smiled.

"Are you coming Mr. Ozark?"

Ben let out a small groan before reluctantly getting up and following after the girls.

###

"Okay so you two are done look at the Gabi Chic dresses and you sent the emails out without a problem?" Ben asked.

He smiled. "Yes, everything is all set now."

"Good then let's head off to the party. I'm sure everyone is dying for me to show up.

Ciara was about to laugh at his poor attempt at humor when the hallway suddenly became pitch black.

"Shit." Stefan cursed.

"What happened?" Gabi said as she turned the flashlight on, on her phone to give them all some light.

"Maybe a fuse broke."

A few seconds later the lights flickered till they turned back on.

"Well the lights are back on so everything must be okay now." Ciara said.

"No these are the backup lights that run on the generator. Notice how there not as bright as they were before?" Stefan pointed out.

"Something doesn't seem right here." Ben said.

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know…I'm just getting a bad feeling here."

He couldn't explain it but he felt this sudden fight or flight feeling cursing through his bones.

"Gabi why don't you and Ciara go into my office while Ben and I go find out what's going on with the circuit breaker."

Gabi nodded as she started to walk towards Ciara.

"Ben…"

He put his hands on his girlfriend's face and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry babe we probably just blew a fuse or something. Just go with Gabi and everything will be fine okay?"

She shook her head yes. "Okay."

The two men watched as their girlfriends made it down the hall and into Stefan's office. Once they were gone the older man sighed.

He knew his friend long enough to know what was swarming around his head.

"Are you thinking this could be the act of one of my enemies?"

"No. But it could be one of mine."

###

Ciara sat on the edge of the couch in her friend's office and stared out the window. It seemed all the buildings around them had no problems with there power and that started to worry her. What if this wasn't some fluke accident? What if the power going out was deliberate?

"You look like you saw a ghost. Are you okay?"

"Not really. I just have this really bad feeling that something awful is about to happen. I could sense Ben felt the same way even though he didn't say a much. And I'm telling you right now if this feeling doesn't go away soon, I'm going to jump out of my skin."

"Here why don't you have some water. "Gabi suggested as she walked over to the min bar that was in the room.

"Have anything stronger?"

She smiled. "Scotch okay?"

"Yes."

Gabi opened the decanter of the amber colored liquid and carefully poured a little in to a small glass. When she was done, she closed up the liquor and walked the drink over to her friend.

"Here you go one scotch neat."

Ciara took the glass from her and quickly took a swig. "Thank you."

"I bet this was not how you imagined spending your New Year's Eve."

"No, it was definitely not. I just hope whatever the problem is we can get it sorted out soon, so we can go straight to the party."

If Gabi was being honest, she too felt like there was something off about tonight. But she knew Ciara was worrying herself into a panic attack and didn't want to add to it. So, she plastered a smile on her face and sat down behind the desk.

"I'm sure everything is fine, and we'll be on our way to the party in no time."

"I wouldn't count on that girls."

Ciara and Gabi turned their head to the door of the office, where they heard the voice coming from. Once she saw the persons face her grip on the glass involuntarily loosened causing it slip from her fingers and go shattering to the floor.

"Chase…"

"Why so scared Ci? I'm only here to kill you." He smirked.

###

Stefan slammed the small door shut and cursed. "Looks like someone cut the main wires."

"Shit. But who would want to do that?"

"I'm a DiMera I could think of a ton of people off the top of my head."

"Or it could be-."

"Don't say it."

Ben shook his head. "The police never found him. He must know were alive by now. You don't think he'd try to come after Ciara again? Or even me?"

"If he wants to end up dead. The kid can't be that stupid."

The younger man rubbed his face. "You don't know what it's like when you lose your mind. You'll do just about anything to feel right again."

"Like kidnap your pregnant girlfriend?"

He nodded. "Yeah like that."

Stefan clasped his hand on his friends' shoulder and sighed. "You have to know that wasn't your fault. You weren't in your right mind and to be honest I don't know if I would be either. When I found out Charlotte was Chad's I felt like the whole world was crashing down around me. But I pulled through because I had people like you to keep me sane."

"Well I wasn't that lucky."

"I know but don't let people like my brother tell you that, that was your fault. You were pushed to the edge until you cracked. It's what Chad does. He finds your weak points, the areas that bother you the most and he keeps hitting them till you hit back. Then he plays the victim like he didn't set the whole thing in motion. It's the one DiMeraish quality he has."

"Well Chad's out of the picture. I have a bigger problem now."

###

"Ben and Stefan are going to be back any minute."

He laughed. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"It should." Ciara trembled.

"Well it doesn't."

Chase pulled a gun out of his coat and happily pointed it at Ciara.

"Chase…what are you doing with that?"

"Ben really must have fucked the brains right out of you. You never use to be this stupid."

While things were unfolding Gabi reached for her phone that was hanging out of her bag. Luckily it was when Chase wasn't looking. She hit the emergency button on her screen and then her brother's name. Once she saw it dialing, she was quick to shove the device back in her clutch, so it wouldn't be seen.

After a few seconds Rafe picked up the phone fully expecting his sister to be on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Gabi, what's up?" He waited a bit for a response and when there was none he spoke again. "Gabi are you there?"

"Listen Chase you don't have to shoot Ciara okay? You can just let her, and I go, and we won't say anything."

"Gabi, where are you? Gabi!"

"What's going on?" Eli asked.

"I don't know. I just heard her say something about Ciara and don't shoot."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No. I would think she'd be at Doug's by now."

Eli sat down in front of the nearest computer and started to type some things into the system.

"Okay give me one second and I should be able to pull up her location. Just try and keep her on the line."

"Gabi can you here me? If you can here me say something so I know you heard me."

She knew her brother would be calling out to her and trying to get her to respond but she couldn't without Chase getting suspicious. That's when she remembered a discussion, she had with her brother months ago after they binge watched the Ocean movies.

They both agreed that with all the mayhem that goes on in this town people should have a code word or phrase to let someone else know there in trouble with out alerting the people around them. Gabi had joked that their key phrase could be the same one Julia Roberts said to George Clooney in the second movie. She just hoped Rafe would remember that.

To ensure he would hear her she lowered her head towards her bag and put her hands into a praying position. This way when Mr. Jennings questioned what she was doing she could say she was praying for her life.

"What are you doing?" Chase angrily questioned like Gabi knew he would.

"Hay agua en el sótano y la luz piloto está apagada." Gabi said in the direction of her purse. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm praying. Hay agua en el sótano y la luz piloto está apagada."

"Did you here that?" Rafe asked now that his cell was on speaker phone.

"She told whoever it was that she was praying."

"No, she was saying our code phrase. She joked if she were ever in trouble or danger and she was able to reach me she'd say that. It's from a movie."

"Well on the off chance she can hear you tell her were coming."

"You found her location?"

Eli grabbed his jacket and started to put it on. "She's at DiMera Enterprises."

###

"Did you hear that?'

"Sounded like someone screaming."

"Are we the only people here?"

Stefan nodded. "Everyone left hours ago to get ready for New Year's Eve."

Both men looked at each other before they muttered out a shit.

Ben ran up the stairs taking two at a time with his friend right on his heels. When he got to the door that lead to the top floor, he paused for a second.

"He set this up, didn't he? He cut the power, so we'd leave Ciara alone and he could grab her."

Stefan opened then the door and looked at his friend. "You don't know that"

"Yea but-."

"Plus she's not alone. She's with Gabi and that woman can hold her own. Ciara and she will be okay. Now come on let's go!"

As they rushed through the door, Eli and Rafe were pulling up outside. When they got out of the car they looked up at the building and the only lights, they could see that were on were the ones in the lobby and the ones on the top floor.

"Since we have no idea what we're dealing with we should probably call for backup." Eli suggested.

"Agreed."

While Eli radioed for backup Rafe continued to listen to what was going on, on the phone.

"You know the first time it was pretty ingenious. When I figured out, she was in the cabin with Ben Weston I knew setting it on fire was my best option given his history with cabins and fires. But he rarely left her alone. Till that faithful night of course. So, once he was gone, I snuck in while Ciara was asleep and poured some accelerant down. I would have made it worse, but she seemed like she was starting to wake up. And I couldn't have her figuring out it was me. Then that stupid Rafe Hernandez showed up with Ben Weston not far behind."

"That stupid Rafe Hernandez happens to be my brother."

He laughed at Gabi. "My apologies then."

"Well you failed the first time, you failed the second time and your going to fail tonight." Ciara confidently told him.

"We'll see about that."

As he was thinking over his next move the door to the office burst open.

Before Ciara had a chance to really react Chase grabbed her and put his weapon to her side.

"Let her go." Ben demanded.

"Well if it isn't Ben Weston and his trusty sidekick. Stefan, right? I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting."

"Cut the shit kid and let her go."

"Now why would I do that?"

Stefan smirked. "I think you seem to be forgetting who you're in a room with. That or you don't know so let me fill you in. Ben here is a serial killer. He can choke the life out of you with his bare hands if he wanted to. Or maybe with one of these perhaps. "He said as he picked his tie up and shook it a little. "And my pretty girlfriend here has killed before. See she doesn't take kindly to rapist's pigs like you. Then last but not least there's me. You don't want to know what I'm capable of when you mess with someone I happen to care about. Just ask Gabi."

Chase let out an auditable gulp. "And that's supposed to scare me?"

"It should."

"Well…well…I'm not scared of any of you!" He mustered as he lifted the weapon and pushed the butt of it roughly into Ciara's skull.

"Ow!"

"Oh, I'm sorry did that hurt? Try being forced into a straight jacket against your will. Then you'll know what real pain is."

Ciara shifted trying to free herself from Chase, but he wasn't going to let her go so easily.

Ben had promised her from the moment she woke up in the cabin that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her and he had meant it. But what if this was the one time, he couldn't keep his promise? Just thought of it made her whimper in horror.

Hearing her, Ben stepped forward a bit thinking he could try to appeal to the psycho in Mr. Jennings. "Listen Chase-."

"No, no, no, no, no! Nobody move!"

Stefan put his hand on his friends' shoulder and gently pulled him back a little. "All right. It's cool."

"Nobody move or I swear I'll blow her pretty little brains out all over your expensive floors!"

"It's cool. No one is moving were staying right where we are."

"No, it is not. It's not cool. I am in pain here! That's the problem. You were supposed to care." He said as he turned his gaze to the girl he once loved and tried to keep from crying. "You don't care! You never did!"

Ciara started to tear up. "Of course, I cared Chase. I always had and I…I care now."

"Yeah. That's right, you do. You care because I'm making you care, because I got this gun pressed against your skull. Because I'm the one who gets to decide. You don't have to I do. I get to decide who feels pain and who's not gonna feel pain, just like you did to me all those years ago. You sealed my fate and now I'm finally going to seal yours."

Down below sirens could be heard. When one of the first police cars stopped Hope was seen getting out of the car rushing up to Rafe and Eli.

"Hope what are you doing here?"

"When you didn't meet me at the square, I got nervous. You weren't answering your phone, so I went down to the station and I heard what was going on, on the scanner. I came as fast as I could."

"I would have tried to get ahold of you, but everything happened so fast."

"Well are Gabi and Ciara okay?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. He seems to not have hurt them yet."

"Him? God, I knew something like this would happen. Its Ben isn't? He finally snapped and has Ciara and your sister held captive up there?"

"Hope-."

"No one wanted to listen to me, but I was right. Now look what has happened!"

"Hope!" Her husband yelled.

"What?"

"It's not Ben. It's Chase."

"Chase…"

"it's been Chase this whole time. Back when Ben found Ciara and brought her to the cabin. Chase had been following her and I guess he waited till she was alone to set the place on fire."

"No…no Chase was locked up then."

"He was but he had to of escaped."

"But that would mean…that would mean Ben is innocent. And he's not innocent. He's a serial killer who likes to set woman on fire and leave them to burn to death! You must be wrong. You have to be. Or maybe Ciara put you up to this. Is she making you lie for that psycho?"

"Baby…"

"She is, isn't she?"

"Hope, I heard Chase! I wouldn't lie to you, not about this!" He said throwing his hands up for emphasis.

"What do you mean you heard Chase?"

"Gabi was able to call me on my cell. Eli and I have heard everything that's been going on up there. That's how we knew they were trouble. That's how I know that Chase was the one who started that fire."

Hope paused for a moment letting everything sink in. "Well what are we going to do? We can't just stay down here and do nothing!"

Back inside everyone could hear the sounds coming from police cars below. When Chase heard them, he got jumpy and stumbled back pushing him and Ciara roughly up against the desk. This caused a secret compartment to be jarred loose on the other side.

When Gabi heard it open, she looked down to see a gun staring her right in the face. Without hesitation she grabbed it and pointed it at Chase.

"Put the gun down and let Ciara go."

"Make me." He seethed.

She cocked the gun and positioned it closer to the back of his skull.

"I think you might want to rethink that statement."

The male brunette turned around and faced the fearless Latina.

He nervously laughed. "You wouldn't kill me."

"Like Stefan said I've done it before and I'm not below doing it again. So, I would seriously and carefully think about your next move. Because it could be your last."

"I'm impressed. Dating a serial killer and friends with a murderer. You never were a good judge of character Ci."

"Just when it came to you. Now let me go you sick bastard."

He nuzzled his nose up against her cheek and smirked. "Never"

"Chase Jennings!" He turned his head to the sound of his name. It was coming from out the window. "This is Detective Grant from the Salem PD. We know your in there. Let the girls go!"

Chase stepped closer to the window and peered out it. Down below he could see several cop cars and a police officer with a bull horn. He could also see what looked like Ciara's mother Hope and her step father Rafe.

Realizing that he was too preoccupied with what was going on below them Gabi eyed Ben and then Ciara. If she was going to take him out now was her chance.

Figuring out what her friend had planned Ciara nodded back in acknowledgment. It was now or never.

Ms. Brady elbowed him in the ribcage and managed to free herself from his grasp. Once she was far enough away Gabi pulled the trigger shooting him square in the chest.

Chase staggered backward and just as his back hit the glass of the window, he grabbed Ciara's hand and pulled her with him.

Below the Salem PD could see a shower of glass coming down and someone hanging out the top window of the tower.

Ciara screamed as she gripped the siding next to the window and tried to keep herself from falling out into the open night air.

"Ciara!"

Ben rushed over to her and grabbed onto the arm that Chase had a firm grip on.

"Ah no!" She loudly cried.

Chase was hanging on for dear life and it wasn't going to be easy to pry him from Ciara. It seemed the harder Ben pulled her arm toward him the tighter Chase held on. That's when he noticed that Mr. Jennings was holding on to Ciara's charm bracelet.

"Hang on baby."

"Ben…!"

Ben worked his hands behind his girlfriend's wrist and desperately tried to unclasp the piece of jewelry he bought her. The longer it took him the more Ciara screamed bloody murder, afraid that she would fall to her death.

Chase looked from Ben to Ciara and then pulled his gun back up ready to pull the trigger. Just as his finger started to lightly grip the cool metal Ben was able to unfasten the bracelet sending the rapist to his death as he eventually met pavement.

Ben pulled Ciara away from the window as she clung to him for dear life.

"He-he almost…took me with him." She sobbed.

"Like I was going to let him take away my anchor."

Ciara cried some more and buried her head into the crook of his shoulder.

"God you don't know how badly I could use a strong drink right now."

Ben laughed and gently rubbed her back.

###

After Ben, Ciara, Gabi and Stefan spoke to Hope and Rafe the young Brady sat with her boyfriend on the back of a rig. They had a blanket wrapped around them as JJ checked her vitals.

"Ciara?"

"Yes?" She looked up to Eli walking towards her.

"If I'm not mistaken this belongs to you?"

He opened his palm revealing her white gold charm bracelet.

"Thank you."

"Technically were supposed to keep it for evidence but I'm sure this means a lot to you."

"It does. Thank you, Eli."

He placed the jewelry in her waiting hand and smiled.

Once he had walked away Ben wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and kissed the top of her head.

"I guess this charm really worked. Without it I could have died tonight." She said as she played with the angel charm in her fingers.

"Yeah your right it did."

"I'm never taking this off as long as I live."

Ben rubbed her back under the blanket and sighed. "I'm going to hold you to that Bocat."


	7. Chapter 7

"You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

Stefan set the plate of food he had in his hands on the coffee table and frowned.

"Michele made it especially for you. It's your favorite. Roast beef sandwich. extra tomato."

Ciara hugged the blanket closer to her body and continued to stare at the tv. "Tell him thank you but I'm not hungry."

"Well I'll just leave it here incase you change your mind okay?"

When Stefan didn't get a response, he started to walk towards the foyer. That's when he saw Claire taking her coat off.

"Claire what a pleasant surprise."

"Harold let me in. I hope that is okay?"

"Of course. Ciara is in bad shape and she could really use some family right now." He pointed to the food on the table and sighed. "I tried to get her to eat but she wouldn't bite."

"I'll see what I can do."

Stefan smiled and turned to his friend. "I have to go to work for a bit, but Claire is going to stay and hang out with you. If you need anything you know my number."

"Uh huh."

The DiMera gave Claire a small nod and then headed to the front door.

"So that sandwich looks really good. What's in it?" Claire asked as she sat in the chair next to the couch.

Ciara didn't feel like talking but didn't want to be rude. "Just roast beef lettuce, mayo, mustard, bell peppers, pickles and extra tomatoes."

"I take back what I said."

"It's actually pretty good."

"Oh really? If it's so good, why don't you show me and have some."

Claire knew with there competitive nature and how they act with each other that this was the best way to get her to try and eat.

"I see what your trying to do and it won't work."

"I'm not trying to do anything. I just think if this sandwich was so good, you'd eat it."

"Will you stop this game if I have some?"

"Maybe…"

Ciara picked up the plate and grabbed half the sandwich and took a huge bite. It tasted like it was supposed to, but it did nothing for her. Once she swallowed the food, she placed the plate back down on the table.

"Happy?"

"I think we'd all be happier if you ate the whole thing, but we'll take what we can get."

"Look I'm fine you don't have to worry about me. Nor sit here and babysit me."

"You call this fine? You've been wearing the same shirt of Ben's for a week. You haven't left the house since the fire and you're barely eating. I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure that's not good for the baby."

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Ciara, I know how you must be feeling-."

"Really? Because last time I checked the love of your life didn't get trapped in a burning building and not make it out."

"Your right that didn't happen to me."

"You didn't have to stand there as your mother told you that she didn't see the father of your baby as she barely made it out alive. You didn't have to sit there as her and Rafe told you they were calling off the search. You didn't have to come to the realization that all the hopes and dreams you had planned died in that fire." She snapped.

"But there's still hope. Stefan still has his own people looking. Maybe they'll find him. Because the Ciara Brady I know would never give up hope."

She shook her head. "I just keep thinking about all the time we wasted."

 **Flashback**

He sat down on the small hospital bed next to his girlfriend and laced his fingers with hers.

"You know I care about you, right?"

She smiled. "Of course, I know Ben. You proved that tenfold when you saved me from your sister."

"Well it's because I love you that I can't do this."

"What are you talking about."

His fingers slowly slipped from hers as he stood up and walked over to the middle of the room.

"It's my fault that all these horrible things keep happening to you. And I can't subject you to any more of that."

"Ben…" She got up and walked to him. "You're not subjecting me to anything."

"How can you say that? Of course, I am! You were nearly burned to a crisp. Twice I might add because of me."

"That could have happened whether you were in my life or not." She said as she reached for his hands.

"No."

"Yes, Ben it could have. The difference is I had you to save me."

"Next time we might not be so lucky."

"You don't know that."

He nodded. "Your right I don't. But I do know I can't keep doing this to you."

She squeezed his hands. "You're not doing anything to me."

"Yes I am. That's why I think it's best for both of us if we move on."

Ciara started to panic. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean move on?"

"I-I-I think we should break up."

She violently shook her head. "No. No absolutely not. I won't let you."

He choked back a sob. "I-its-It's already done Ciara. Please don't make this any harder okay?"

"Make this harder?! You're the one complicating things. I mean I get your scared I am too. But we don't have to breakup over it!"

"Ciara please just let me do this. I need to protect you, and this is the only way I know how."

She was fuming at this point. "You think protecting me means you have to dump me? Have you lost your-I-I mean what are you thinking?"

Ben sighed before removing his hands from hers and bringing them up to the top of her head. He pulled her in and gave her forehead an all but sloppy kiss.

"Goodbye Rockstar."

He detached himself from her orbit and started to walk toward the door. Just as his hands touched the metal of the handle, he heard her yell to him.

"Wait! You can't go Ben! You can't go because…because I love you!"

He turned and paused. "You what?"

"You heard me. I love you. I have loved you the moment I opened my eyes in that cabin. I just didn't know it and if you walk away now you are taking away a huge piece of me. The best piece in fact. So, I can't let you do that."

"Ciara I…"

She walked to him and grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to her. "You're not running. I won't let you."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Ben crashed his lips onto her.

###

"You broke up for like two seconds."

"Two seconds that could have been spent with us together."

Claire frowned. "Ciara-. "

"I see him everywhere you know. I can't escape him. And I don't want to but…I can't take it. I feel like I'm going crazy. It's so bad that sometimes I don't know what's real."

Claire leaned forward and laid her hand on her aunts' hand. Ciara looked up at her and the moment their eyes locked the brunette started to sob.

The younger Brady got up from her seat and walked over to her friend and relative and pulled her into her arms.

"Everything is going to be okay. You'll see."

"No, it won't. It will never be okay again."

"Ciara, I know it seems like you'll never get through this but-."

The brunette pulled away from her niece. "You know in my dreams everything is the way it used to be. But I always wake up. I always wake up."

Claire looked at her aunt and again frowned.

###

Gabi sat down next Ciara and fanned out the DVD's she had in her hand.

"Okay so I have action, romcom, and sci-fi. Take your pick."

"Whatever you guys want."

Gabi and Stefan looked at each other and then their friend.

"Captain America The First Avenger looks good to me."

"You okay with that?" Gabi asked Ciara.

She wrapped the blanket around her tighter and nodded.

"Good then I'll make the popcorn and Stefan can start the movie."

Once Gabi was out of the room the pregnant brunette cleared her throat.

"So, where's Arianna?"

"Ari is spending the weekend with Will and Sonny."

"Would that have anything to do with the ray of sunshine I've been this past week?"

He laughed. "No, they had tickets to a Blackhawks game and thought Ari might like it now that she's getting into sports."

"Sounds fun." There was a long pause before Ciara spoke. "You know Ben had plans to take me to a Red Sox game. We were going to take a trip to Boston. Make a whole week of it."

"That sounds nice. When did he become a fan of them again?"

"It was when Jordan and he were on the run."

"Oh right. They lived in Boston for a bit."

"He loved it there. I've never been so I can only imagine what it's like."

Stefan grabbed the DVD case and popped it open. "I've been on business there. It's nice not like Chicago but it's nice."

"I'm sure."

As Gabi was walking into the room, he was placing the movie into the DVD player.

"Popcorn is done and smells delicious."

Stefan walked over to his girl and took a small handful of the snack out of the bowl. He dropped a few pieces in his mouth and then cocked his head to the side.

"This is interesting. What is it?"

"Kettle corn. Isn't it good?"

"Very." He said as he grabbed the remote and hit play before sitting down in the chair closest to the TV. "You should try it Ciara."

"Yeah here. It's really good. It's salty and sweet."

Gabi sat down on the couch and placed the bowl in between her and her friend.

"I'm not-."

"Please?"

Ciara took a few pieces and slowly ate them. She was sure if she actually had an appetite that she would have enjoyed it more.

###

Toward the end of the movie Stefan got a phone call and had to excuse himself. The two girls thought nothing of it and went back to the movie.

 _"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."_

 _"There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down._

 _"I'll get Howard on the line; he'll know what to do."_

 _"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water."_

 _"Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."_

 _Starting to have a bad feeling where this movie was headed Ciara gripped the blanket tighter._

 _"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice. Peggy?_

 _"I'm here."_

 _"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."_

 _"Alright. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."_

 _"You got it."_

 _"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"_

 _"You know, I still don't know how to dance."_

 _"I'll show you how. Just be there."_

 _"We'll have the band play somethin' slow. I'd hate to step on your…"_

 _"Steve? Steve? Steve?"_

Ciara watched as the line went dead and Peggy Carter started to weep. Before she could even realize what was happening, she started to sob. Like Ms. Carter she knew what it was like to lose someone you love far too soon.

"Shit do you want me to turn it off?"

"No." She croaked out.

"Here." Gabi leaned over to the end table next to her and grabbed the box of tissues and put it in front of her crying friend.

Ciara took a tissue and blew her nose. She then took another a dabbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd get so emotional over this."

She wrapped her arm around Ciara's shoulder and pulled her into her side.

"Hey, it's okay don't worry about it. If you feel like crying, then you cry."

Out in the foyer Stefan was still on the phone with one of his associates.

"And you found it where? Well that was nowhere near the fire. If the PD hadn't stopped the search so quick, they probably would have found it. No, I'm not going to say anything yet. Just call me when you get anything else concrete."

Once Stefan walked back into the room, he saw Ciara wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"So…what did I miss?"

"Steve crashed the plane into the water to save New York. Peggy was on the radio with him when he did it."

"He still owed her a dance. "Ciara said through her tears.

Gabi rubbed her friends back and sighed. "At least we know he makes it out okay in the end. There's two other Captain America movies plus the he's in the Avengers movies."

She shook her head. "God look at me. I'm crying over fictional characters."

"Hey-."

Ciara interrupted her female friend. "Actually, it's not the characters I'm crying over. I'm crying because it reminds me of my situation with Ben. At least Peggy got some kind of goodbye. I didn't get anything."

Stefan frowned. "Why don't we watch something else? Gabi recorded the new Ocean's 8 with Sandra Bullock."

"Actually, I'm kind of tired all of a sudden. I think I'm going to head up to bed." Ciara said as she slowly got up from the couch.

"Okay sure."

The couple watched as their friend made her way to the stairs. Before she disappeared from their view Mr. DiMera offered her a goodnight. He waited for a response from her but all he got in return was small nod.

Once she was completely gone Stefan turned to his girlfriend. "I'm still really worried about her."

"Me too. Yesterday I caught her sitting at her vanity softly singing along to Only the Lonely. She looked like she was about to fall apart into a million pieces."

"I don't think I know that song."

"Sure, you do. It's by Roy Orbison. ' _There goes my baby. There goes my heart. They're gone forever. So far apart. But only the lonely know why I cry._ '."

He nodded his head in acknowledgment. "There has to be something we can do."

"What if we had her go see Marlena?"

"I've thought about it, but I can't get her to leave the house."

"I'm sure Marlena wouldn't mind doing a house call. I could call and set something up."

###

Once Ciara made it to her room, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Not that there was much to brush off since she had barely been eating.

When she finally crawled into bed, she turned on her TV, mostly for background noise.

Watching Friends wasn't the same anymore. She'd always remember her and Ben laying down together as she explained the show to him. Or how from the moment he started watching with her he thought Joey should be with Rachel.

It honestly still surprised her to this day that he had never seen the comedy before he met her.

Thinking about it made her smile for a second and she looked over to Ben's side of the bed like she expected him to be there. When her eyes were met with an empty space she reached out for his pillow and clutched it to her body.

She could still smell his scent and let it help lull her into a slightly peaceful slumber.

###

"You know I never understood why people liked Ross with Rachel so much. He was controlling, obsessive, possessive, selfish, and always talked down to her because he felt his Ph.D. made him superior to her."

Ciara's eyes slowly opened, and she looked up to see Ben laying down next her, with his head propped up on his hand. The brunette blinked her eyes a few times. This couldn't be real.

She hesitantly reached out her hand to touch his face. "Ben…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you…is this real? Are you really here?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "No, it's not real but it sure does feel like it huh?"

She sighed as she felt him caress her cheek. It was just another dream. She felt like she could cry for the umpteenth time. "Yes."

"Ciara…"

"I never got to say thank you."

He cocked his head. "For what?"

"For giving me everything I've always wanted. Safety, stability, passion and a love that consumes me like no other has. There's nothing more I could ever want…other than for it to last forever. But I guess…I guess that's not going to happen."

"Baby I know this has been hard on you but believe me things are going to be okay. "

Ciara pulled back as tears filled her eyes, not able to take it any longer. "How can you say that? Nothing will ever be okay again! Your gone. The police stopped looking for you. I was told to give up hope."

"And have you?"

"I…I don't know. I want to believe you'll come back to us but its been a week since the fire. If you- if you were alive, they should have found you by now."

"I hate to say this because Hope is your mother and Rafe your stepfather, but the Salem PD is not the brightest when it comes to police work."

"So, your saying not to give up hope?"

Ben grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "How many fires have we been though?"

"One too many."

He chuckled. "Yes, but we survived each one and came out stronger because of it."

"This time is different. One of us didn't make it." She started to cry.

"Hey come here."

Ben pulled her into his arms and laid them back down on the bed. He then ran soothing circles with his fingers over her back.

"I want to see you. For real. Not in my dreams or day dreams. I can't do this without you. I shouldn't have to. It's too hard. I'm starting to think maybe for my own sanity I should let you go."

"I know Bobcat, I know it's hard. But we'll be together soon I promise. Don't let go of me."

She chocked back a sob. "You don't know that. You can't promise that."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Just close your eyes okay? And when you wake up everything will be better."

"But Ben-."

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Then close. Your. Eyes."

She shot up in bed as she heard a loud crashing noise. Ciara looked around to see herself alone, again in her bed. The sounds coming from downstairs could be heard getting louder and louder. As if whatever it was, was coming towards her. She clutched the sheets to her body; almost afraid this was another nightmare.

When the door to the bedroom flung open, she recoiled a little.

There was a long silence before someone finally spoke.

"Ciara…"

She blinked. Standing in the doorway was Ben. Or someone who looked like Ben.

"I-I-…"

"Stefan briefly told me about what's been going on with you. I'm so sorry baby I'm…I'm so sorry." He started to tear up.

"Who-who are you?"

"Bobcat it's me Ben."

"No…no Ben is dead."

"Baby I'm not dead I'm right here. Stefan's men found me. I'm alive."

He tried to step closer to the bed and Ciara inched herself back.

"No! Just stay where you are!"

"Ciara. I'm not an imposter. I'm me. I'm the real Ben Weston. The man who's going to marry you. The father of your child."

"Well then…then…you're not real!"

"Baby." He stepped closer.

"Stop it Ben your getting in my head. Please don't do this to me please don't!"

"Baby listen… "

"No, you're not real. I've finally lost it. You're a hallucination. A figment of my imagination."

"Ciara, I told you I'm real, I'm really here."

"No…no you're my mind playing tricks on me!"

Ciara curled her legs into herself and placed her head in her lap and then covered her ears.

Maybe Stefan was right, maybe she should have seen Marlena.

"Ciara look at me."

"Just stop. I can't do this anymore. It hurts too much." She sobbed.

"Baby it's me I'm here. I'm real. I came back to you."

She shook her head. "No, the police couldn't find you. You're not real! You're in my head!"

Ben slowly walked over to there bed and gingerly sat on it. He then pulled her hands away from her ears. "But Stefan found me and I'm here Rockstar. I'm here."

"No-."

He brought his hand up to her cheek and gently rubbed it with his thumb before pulling her in for a small kiss. As soon as their lips touched, they both could feel a spark of electricity. Something Ciara never felt in her dreams. When they finally came up for air Ben rested his forehead against his fiancés and held her face in his hands.

"How about that? Did that not feel real to you?" He choked out.

"I-I-but…but how?"

"Does it matter?"

"But the police searched for you…they said they couldn't find you."

He sighed. "Let's just say they didn't look hard enough."

"But my mother personally looked. She said there was no trace of you."

Ben rubbed the back of his head. "Look I don't want to speak ill of your mother."

"Why she doesn't mind speaking ill of you."

"All I'll say is I don't think she was as invested in finding me as you and Stefan were."

Ciara shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I-I don't care I'm just so fucking glad you're alive."

She pulled Ben in for a big hug, not wanting to let go. He let out a wince and hugged her back.

"Ow."

"Shit are you okay?" She said as he pulled away for a bit.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you and the baby. How is our baby bobcat?"

"There okay. But they missed you like crazy. We both did."

He winced again. "Good."

"We should get you to a hospital."

"I just want to clean up. I smell like soot."

Ciara thought about it for a second and then nodded. "Fine but then were getting Stefan and taking you to the hospital. Is that understood?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Ciara smiled as she got up from the bed and grabbed Ben's hand. He then let her lead him to their adjoining bathroom.

Once they reached the shower, she was quick to turn the hot and cold nozzles on so she could find him the perfect temperate.

When she turned around, he surprised her by pulling her in for a quick hard kiss.

"I missed you so much Ben."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I missed you too. Why don't you join me?"

"Ben we really need to get you to the hospital. We don't have-."

"Please Bobcat?"

Not being able to say no to him she nodded.

She first undressed herself and then went to help her future husband with his clothes. At first, he gave her a hard time, but it wasn't long till he surrendered to her.

When they finally got under the hot spray of the shower, he wrapped his arm around her waist and let his hand fall to her luscious mound. His thumb rested on her clit as his ring and middle finger slipped inside her moist folds.

She let out a small moan and arched her head back against his shoulder.

"Ben we…"

"I've been dreaming of this moment. Just let me have it." He softly spoke into her ear.

Not having it in her to say no she nodded. "Okay."

Ben continued on and it wasn't long until her found the spongey area inside her.

He kept stroking the area earning more moans from Ciara. This went on for a few moments when he felt her shudder. Realizing she was close he gently pulled his digits from her body.

Ciara whined through heavy pants.

"Is it okay if I…?"

"Yes."

Ben grabbed his penis and lined it up with his fiancés entrance. After a few seconds he eased himself in and sighed.

"God baby I love you so much."

"I love you too."

He pulled her head back and captured her lips into a sweet kiss as his hand held her face in place. His other dropped to her growing stomach.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, him moving in and out of her as they kissed. This went on till he stilled and they both moaned into each to each other's mouths.

When they pulled apart, they rested their foreheads against each other.

Ben was about to speak when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Guys are you in there?"

"Uh yeah…I'm just taking a quick shower."

"Hey, you promised after you two reunited you'd let me take you to the hospital. So, chop chop!"

###

"Kayla, I hate to ask this of you because I'm sure your busy…but I'd like to see the baby."

"You want me to do an ultrasound?"

He nodded "That is if Ciara is okay with it."

Ciara grabbed Ben's hand and squeezed it. "I'm more than okay with it."

"So, then what do you say?"

The blonde smiled. "Let me get the machine."

###

Stefan looked up from the chair he was in to see commissioner Brady walking over to where he was.

"You have some damn nerve showing up here after what you did!" He said getting up from his seat and walking the rest of the way to her.

Hope gave the DiMera a questionable look. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't play dumb. Ben told me everything. About how you found him on your way out of the building and he begged you to save him, but you couldn't do it. You just kept on going."

 **Flashback**

She knew she only had a short amount of time to get herself out of the building. It would be tough since she didn't know which areas were covered in flames, but she had to do it. It was her only way to try and make it out alive.

As she pushed open the doors to the next floor she looked around. There were no flames, just a lot of smoke.

The brunette made her way down the first flight of stairs and was just about to turn the corner to the other set when she heard her name.

"Hope…?"

"Ben?"

The detective whipped around to see her future son in-law stuck under a beam.

"Hope you have to help me I can't move the beam. It's too heavy for me to lift on my own."

Hope started to step towards him and stopped.

If she just walked away and left him here her daughter and grandchild would never have to worry about Ben Weston again. Sure, Ciara and the baby would miss him but eventually that would go away. If he was alive and, in their lives, he would always cause them pain. This had to be done.

Before she could second guess her decision, she turned around and made a bee line for the stairs.

"This is what's best for Ciara I'm sorry."

"Hope what are you doing? You can't do this I'm going to be the father to your grandchild. You saw what happened to Ciara when she lost her father. Do you really want that for her own child? I mean what would Bo think if he were still here and he knew you were doing this? Hope…? Hope! You can't just leave me here to die!" He cried out.

Hope stopped as tears prickled her eyes and she took one final look at the man who caused her so much worry and grief. "I'm sorry I-I have to do what's best for my little girl."

She continued down the stairs rushing at lightening pace.

As she made her descent toward the first floor, she could hear Ben's loud sobs for her to come back and help him. But she couldn't all she could do was try to hold back her tears as she tried to get herself out of the burning building.

 **End of flashback**

"Mom…? Is this true."

Stefan and Hope tuned to see Ciara standing against the door of Ben's room.

"Honey I don't know what you heard but-."

"I heard everything. Now tell me. Is. It. True. Yes? Or no?"

Hope lowered her head and nodded. "Yes."

Ciara shook her head in slight disbelief with a little annoyance mixed in. "I can't believe this."

"Look Honey you have to realize that I did this for you and the baby. So, you both could have a real life. A safe life away from the chaos that is Ben Weston."

"I don't care what your damn reasons were. That was fucked up on so many levels! He's going to be my husband. He's the father of my child! I had issues with Rafe in the beginning, but I would have never done what you did to Ben to him. Because I know it would hurt you."

"Ciara listen please-."

"Do you know he won't even say one bad thing about you? He knows you are my mother and he doesn't want to do anything to tarnish our mother daughter relationship. Which is kind of funny. You did that all on your own. No help from Ben needed."

"Honey…"

She shook her head again. "Nope. Were done. Stay away from me, stay away from Ben and when this baby is born, I want you to stay away from it too."

"You can't be serious Ciara Alice. I'm your mother!"

"You were. Now your just some cold-hearted woman I use to know."

Stefan walked over to Ciara. "Ciara, I think-."

"I just wanted to come out and tell you Ben is okay. He has a few broken ribs, severe dehydration and a few cuts and scrapes that we're lucky didn't get infected."

"That's great. Considering the circumstances."

Ciara eyed her mother and nodded. "Could you see my mother is escorted out?"

"I uh…yeah sure."

She turned on her heel and went back to Ben's room so they could start the ultrasound.

###

"Jelly is going to feel a little cold."

Ciara nodded. "Okay."

Ben squeezed her hand and as Kayla dropped a little bit of clear jelly on her nieces' stomach.

The doctor then placed the wand over the stomach and gently pressed down.

"Okay let's see where this little guy is hiding…"

Ben's eyes went wide. "Guy?"

She laughed. "It's too early to know the sex I just meant-."

"Right, right don't worry I get it."

Ciara looked up at Ben. "Do you not want a boy?"

"Honestly Bobcat I don't care what we have as long as it's healthy."

"Good answer."

Kayla moved the wand around a bit more before her hand abruptly stopped.

"There they are."

The couple stared at the screen for a while in wonderment.

"And everything looks okay? Everything is where it's supposed to be?"

She nodded at her soon to be nephew in-law. "Everything is progressing just nicely."

"Thank god."

"Would you like me to print you out some pictures?"

"Yes please." They both said in unison.

They watched as Ciara's aunt grabbed a towel and gently wiped the jelly off of her stomach.

Kayla smiled. "I'll be back in a bit."

Once the door shut behind Kayla Ben laid down on the bed and rested his head next to her stomach.

He hoped he didn't botch up what he was about to do.

" _Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes  
And save these questions for another day  
I think I know what you've been asking me  
I think you know what I've been trying to say  
I promised I would never leave you  
Then you should always know  
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are  
I never will be far away._"

"How do you-."

Ben looked up. "It was on your iPod. I assumed you liked it."

"I do."

" _Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep  
And still so many things I want to say  
Remember all the songs you sang for me  
When we went sailing on a something… bay._" Ciara laughed as he messed up the words of the song. _  
_" _And like a boat out on the ocean  
I'm rocking you to sleep  
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart  
You'll always be a part of me._"

She wiped her eyes that started to tear up. "My dad use to sing this to me when I was little."

Ben widely smiled and turned his head back to her growing belly.

 _"Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream  
And dream how wonderful your life will be  
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby  
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me  
Someday we'll all be gone  
But lullabies go on and on  
They never die  
That's how you and I will be._"

By this point Ciara was in a full-on sob. Ben pulled her in his arms as best he could with his injuries and rubbed her back.

"I wish my Dad was here."

"I know Bobcat but he's here. He's here in your heart and in that song," She nodded. "When I was little my mom use to sing me her parents' song. She did it every night. So even when they weren't there it felt like they were. So, I'm sure your dad is here. Looking down on us, watching us. Just like my grandparents and my Mom.

"I'm so glad you made it out alive. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"And you don't have to ever find out. Because I'm never leaving you again. Never."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away."


End file.
